


The Odd Couple

by Selena Barton (sel_barton)



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, M/M, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-29
Updated: 2012-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-30 07:02:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/329054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sel_barton/pseuds/Selena%20Barton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a fic set after the war inspired by a YouTube video of Heero and Duo to the intro of The Odd Couple (1968).  The POV is marked as it shifts between Heero and Duo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

DUO'S POV

I'd be damned if it wasn't one hell of a year after the destruction of our gundams. I went back to L2 and started the salvage business with Hilde. And after Heero took over Relena's security and ended up married to the woman, I hadn't really seen a point in refusing Hilde's offer either. Living in the same house with her was weird to say the least. 

I'd only hacked the Preventers system a couple of times. Only when Heero and Wufei had seemed to disappear. They were partners after all, and that meant something was up as far as I was concerned. It wasn't like I could deny my feelings for Heero, and Hilde was well aware. That's why we had separate rooms at the house. Never actually married. Just moved in to save on the bills, and it wasn't like I needed the privacy for any surprise visits from him. 

Though that was only a few more years. We'd finally agreed that it was kind of pointless to even continue living together. She deserved a chance to find a companion that would want to be with her and share her love. And I was just a third wheel and not helping the prospects any. We both knew that, so I set about finding my own place once more.

It surprised us both when the place I ended up wanting to be was on Earth. I had to hear about the concerns of my being so far away and alone. I insisted that all the guys had settled on Earth by then, and I was sure Trowa could use some company while Quatre was busy with work. He was a rather busy man after all.

I even started working for Preventers. Not in Heero's department, but still for the same company. Une was still a damned intimidating force when she wanted to be, but she seemed more balanced. Though my opinion might be tainted with the memory of an execution that almost happened...

I would have found another job, but I rather didn't want to risk not getting the apartment I'd found. It was the best damn place I'd seen, short of the Winner and Dorlian places. I'm sure Wufei probably had a place just as nice, and it wasn't like every one of us hadn't earned the right to live in a damned nice place too. 

Once I got all settled in my new place, life became mostly a pattern once again. Work, house work, meals, sleep. Day after day, same old thing. 

You realize that's when things change, right? When something goes wrong and turns your world upside down? Good. That means I don't have to tell you just how much the change in the boring pattern was something I had wanted, just hadn't expected what the change would be.

“Duo?”

“Yeah,” I answered looking up to find Heero walking into my office on the floor below his.

Now Heero walking into the office really wouldn't be that big a change. It wasn't exactly common, but it happened at times. A consult here, an appointment there. Hell, the 'are you going to so-and-so's for dinner' question even. Though the odd request of the day was interesting. 

I've had Trowa ask to stay over when Quatre was out of town, but never Heero Yuy.

“Running away from the crystal palace?” What can I say? I don't really like Relena's place. It's just too fancy and over the top.

“I guess...in a way,” he answered.

Now the tone was a bit off for Heero, and I had it in me to ask for more details, but if he really wanted to tell me, he would. Still... “Disagreement?”

He nodded. 

“Shouldn't you try to work it out?”

“Not really. It's not something of that nature,” he answered, and I could tell in the tone that it was time to change the subject for the time being.

“Well if you don't mind the lower grade accommodations, you are more than welcome to stay,” I answered with a bright smile. It was not exactly the brightest idea I'd ever had. I mean you don't just have the man you are drawn to staying in your home for an extended period of time without some strain. And I was just welcoming that strain on my nerves with open arms.

* * *

“Welcome to Chateaus de' Maxwell,” I said as the door swung open. I wasn't ashamed of my home at all. As I said, it was a really nice place. But I couldn't help but wait for his reaction to see if it was going to be up to par with his standards.

“It's very nice,” was all I got from him as he stepped inside and toed off his shoes. 

How he realized that I did that myself I didn't ask, just stepped in behind him and followed suit.

“This way please, good Sir,” I said with a bright smile in place and leading him down the hall toward the guest room.

He followed, and it wasn't until his stuff was settled, and we were setting down for dinner that he began to say much of anything.

“I would have asked Chang, but this weekend he and...” he just kind of petered out on that.

“I don't recall complaining, or even really hesitating to say yes.”

“You don't understand,” he started, but then stopped looking at his dinner like it was fascinating.

“Might if ya told me,” I countered and then took a bite, keeping my eyes on my plate so he didn't feel like he was being watched.

When he didn't pick up the conversation, I figured I'd pushed too far. I left the offer there on the table though, left it open while we ate.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

This separating had been a long time coming. Relena and I had been discussing it. It had mainly been delayed because of her not wanting it to turn into a media frenzy. As head of her security, it was my job to protect her, and as her friend, I took the job doubly so in trying to keep her personal life out of the media as best I could. I didn't want either of us dealing with the crazed calls that would occur or the cameras that would be going off twice as fast to twist with their own warped thoughts on the matter.

I had intended on staying a few days with Chang to find a course of action that would be suitable. However, that was thwarted quite quickly with his soft smile and announcement of taking off for the weekend with Sally for a little quality time. I could not begin to even utter a word of my weekend planning with that kind of news. He was my partner and brother and his plans would have been canceled because I'd needed him. I couldn't allow that. Couldn't ruin what I knew would be something good for the both of them.

And knowing that Quatre would be upset over the matter if he were to find out, I went to the only place I could think of to determine what would be a suitable plan on my own. Duo would let me stay if he didn't have plans. I'd never asked, but I was sure that he'd not turn away a friend. 

“Running away from the crystal palace?”

I don't know why he started calling it that, but it was rather fitting at the parties I guess, and that was about the only time you could get him in the place. I was sure he only came then out of duty for work. I'm sure he knew he was welcome to just visit. Relena even made it clear several times, insisting he come back and spend some time without all the extra people.

“I guess...in a way,” I answered quietly.

I was surprised when his only response was, “Disagreement?”

I nodded. 

“Shouldn't you try to work it out?”

“Not really. It's not something of that nature,” I said hoping my tone would impart just how I wasn't about to talk about it. Especially at work.

“Well if you don't mind the lower grade accommodations, you are more than welcome to stay,” Duo answered with a bright smile.

It was in me to protest his implications of his own place not being good enough. Hell it was in me to protest the implication of my being so accustomed to the Dorlian Estate that I couldn't handle anything less. I found her home far over the top myself.

* * *

“Welcome to Chateaus de' Maxwell,” he said as the door swung open. He watched me and seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

“It's very nice,” was all I could manage before I stepped inside and toed off my shoes. It was a relief when he stepped inside behind me and did the same. It was something I was used to doing at Chang's, and this was probably a little bit nicer place than his. It had just seemed polite.

“This way please, good Sir,” he said leading me down the hall toward what I assumed to be the guest room.

It wasn't until we were sitting down for supper that I felt I had to say something. “I would have asked Chang, but this weekend he and...” I just kind of petered out on that. I didn't want him thinking he was merely a last resort. I value his friendship more than anything, and I was afraid he'd think I didn't with the way that was going to come out.

“I don't recall complaining, or even really hesitating to say yes.” And he hadn't. There was a moment of shock on his face where I'm sure he was wondering if he heard me correctly, and then the little banter that told me he was fishing for things to disprove what he was sure his ears had heard with the agreement turned into an offer.

“You don't understand,” I started, but then stopped looking at my dinner like it was fascinating. I couldn't ask him to listen to something that might just hit a bit too close to home. I would not put that weight on his shoulders. It wouldn't be right.

“Might if ya told me,” he countered and then took a bite, keeping his eyes on his plate. 

I knew he was giving me that bit of privacy so to speak to think it over. And it was a damned tempting thought. I wanted to tell him, but at the same time was afraid to do so as well. I needed to know I wasn't the only one that ever felt this lost and confused, and yet knew damned well what I wanted at the same time. I wanted to let him turn it into something we could laugh at rather than something that was weighing on me as if I'd betrayed my friends by keeping it to myself.

* * *

DUO'S POV

We settled on movies after dinner. It didn't take long for us to down a couple beers and watch a couple movies. And going to bed was far less the comfortable affair that it always had been with Trowa. There would be a call from Quatre to make sure he was there that first night, and then the hiding out in the kitchen while he talks to him. Then there's the good nights as we head down the hall.

With Heero it was far from the quiet calm. There was a tense moment as the second movie ended, and he looked down at the empty bottle. I had to get up and head for the kitchen. I couldn't just sit there and wonder what was crossing his mind.

He was in the doorway by the time I had my own bottle in the trash and had the last couple of dishes put away from dinner where they finished drying.

“I'm gonna head for bed now. Unless you....” I stopped. Maybe I was just a glutton for punishment, but it felt like I should give him another offer to talk before going to bed.

“Bed sounds good,” he said. 

I wondered just how long it had been since he could really just go to bed and sleep. I mean when you are the head of security for your wife, wouldn't it just be work all the way through? Don't think I could sleep through work like that. And I can't see Heero Yuy doing it either, not really sleep.

Lying there, I could tell you he didn't doze right off, not even in that hair-trigger sort of sleep that I'm sure he does every night.

He was gone Monday morning and back to his place I guessed. I figured it was merely a little disagreement, and he just needed time to sort somethings out before going back home. It was another 2 weeks before I figured out how wrong I was.

We had a scheduled get together thing going on. Quatre insisted that we tried to all get together at least once a month. That is when he was in. I partly blame his need for brothers when surrounded by only sisters for so long, but who was I to complain, they are my only family after all.

“Have you seen Yuy?” Wufei asked when he sat down in the overstuffed chair of Quatre's sitting room.

“Not since yesterday at lunch. But you should have seen him since that,” I answered.

Quatre and Trowa both shook their heads. I don't think I'd have been too concerned if it hadn't been for his disquiet since he stayed. It seems odd to think that his being quiet was a problem, but it wasn't his usual quiet. 

When the phone rang and Quatre disappeared to answer it, I hate to admit I expected it to be Heero begging off. But his sullen expression when he returned didn't feel right either. “Quat'? Buddy?”

Trowa looked up and that silent couple speak occurred, I'm sure of it. Quatre was sinking into the spot beside Trowa and leaning in close. “That was Relena,” he said so softly that it was almost nonexistent.

“Everything okay?” I asked, wondering just what could have occurred since he left Wufei at work yesterday.

“She was trying to track down Heero. I am supposed to relay a message to him, if he shows up.”

I couldn't help the confused look, or the betrayed one that I leveled on Wufei and his silence.

“Someone care to explain?” I asked a bit snippier than I had intended.

“Yuy hasn't been living at home in the last couple of weeks. He and Relena came to an understanding, and they will be attempting to quietly separate,” Wufei answered.

“And no one cared to share this? Sounds to me like he needed his friends, and we weren't there because we got left in the dark,” I answered glancing around wondering just how many of us were in the dark and how many had known.

When the knock came at the door, Quatre urged Wufei to answer it. I was given the patented Quatre Winner look that said not to say a word and be a good little boy. We've all been the receiver of this look when we became too far lost to our urges to help the others that we forgot who it was we were going to tend to. Hell, he gave it to Trowa from a hospital bed so that he'd go home and rest rather than wear himself out there. And the look I had gotten that day was to make sure it was my home, and that said lover actually did as the look ordered.

When Heero came into the room with Wufei behind him, I just sat there. I wanted to jump up and hug him, give him some kind of offer for a shoulder to lean on. Can't say a shoulder to cry on since I still had a bit of trouble seeing him as someone who would cry in front of anyone. Hell, I have a hard time seeing him just allowing himself to cry when he's guaranteed to be alone. Though in that crystal palace of Relena's I'm sure guaranteed and alone do not go together at all.

It was almost time for everyone to start heading home before I dared to refuse the orders Quatre had glared at me. “Where are you staying?”

Heero looked up and just stared at me for a moment before glaring at Wufei.

“I'm afraid it's a shared fault,” Wufei answered the glare. “She called.”

“I was going to wait until you were heading out. I was going to tell you what she called for once I had you alone out there,” Quatre said soflty.

“And I damn well wanna know what's going on that my best friend couldn't talk to me,” I growled at them both.

Heero looked back at me and then just turned to go out the door. Damn it.

Quatre followed quickly and delivered Relena's message. I watched him from the doorway to see his eyes. Even that far away I could see some change in his expression for a moment and then a slow nod. 

“Where is he staying Chang?”

“A hotel,” he finally answered.

“And why is that?”

“You should ask Yuy. We've already said more than we should have. It really is his business.”

Now that answer only served to cause my volume to go up and my temper to flare. My best friend, and quite frankly the man I loved, was hurting, and he wasn't sharing it with me. Tends to hit a chord when the guy ya care about won't talk to you, and you know he needs someone to listen. Especially when your collection of friends is small and like family.

It wasn't all that difficult to decide I was going to drive around to the hotels and find his car in the lot. Nor was it hard to decide that I was going to go up and talk to him. It's not like I was going to let him live in a hotel room. This was crazy.

The look on his face when he opened the door was proof enough of that.

“Hey, gonna invite me in?”

“Here?”

“Yeah here,” I said with a grin that was supposed to be disarming, but I guess it caused more distress instead. “Come on 'Ro. Can't leave a guy in the hall, can ya?”

He stepped aside letting me in and looking at the floor. I took myself inside and sat down on the little couch in the room and waited. When Heero finally closed the door and came into the room from the little hall, I looked up at him.

“So ya gonna come over and sit down, or are you too good to sit with the likes of me?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Never,” he said before sitting down cautiously.

“Are you sure? I mean you stayed the weekend, didn't say a word, and now I find out you ditched me for a hotel,” I said offering that bit of reproach with humor.

“It was nothing personal.”

“Then why is it I'm the one in the dark?” I asked not really expecting an answer.

It turns out, I was apparently not clear enough on my relationship with Hilde. I mean, there are so many options when it comes to we lived together. Not just we were together. So I took the time to explain how that had really come about, minus the whole I gave in because he got married. I just made it out like she wanted to save some cash. It took me almost an hour to get that all straightened out. 

Ya ever think you might have skirted the 'dangerous' questions and then they slam you right in the face? Yep, you guessed it, he had to ask about whether or not I really thought about being attracted to someone.

“Isn't everyone?”

“I guess....,” he sighed. I knew that sound in it. 

He surprised me when I insisted that he come stay with me, and he agreed. Okay it wasn't an immediate agreement, it took some convincing, but he still agreed. That made me very happy and nervous as all hell.

Might I remind that I just encouraged the man I am hopelessly attracted to to stay with me indefinitely. This just screams bad idea, but I refuse to have my friend living out of a hotel when I have a perfectly available guest room. It's not like we haven't lived in the same place and shared the same room before. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

By the end of the weekend I knew what I had to do. I had to get out of Duo Maxwell's apartment. It wasn't Duo's fault, but I damn well couldn't ask him to live through all his issues that he must have had with Hilde. It had to be rough if he left a business and the colony to live on Earth. Though I remember Duo always talking about how he preferred Earth over L2. But he loved space, and it only seemed fitting that he'd stayed out there to be closer to the stars.

I had to tell Chang where I was staying. It was necessary when I changed the security roster around and had someone else covering my position on that list at night. Besides we worked at home some of the time as well, and that meant it being necessary for him to know that the Dorlian estate was no longer my home. 

It was doing quite well with just his knowledge until Quatre had turned up one evening to discuss some matters with Relena. My leaving and heading back to the hotel caught his attention, and by the end of the next day, I'd received a call from him asking all kinds of questions. I refused to tell either he or Chang the true reasons our 'marriage' was coming to an end.

How does one just tell someone something so personal? It wasn't like it was a matter guys tended to want to discuss when they really couldn't even manage a twitch of interest for their 'partner'. I never kissed her, touched her, nothing. The closest we came to contact were at the dinners where I was expected to lead her around on my arm. I was her security and escort. Nothing more.

Not that Relena isn't a lovely woman, but that's just the problem. She is a, well, she. And that is obviously not on my list of prerequisites for a lover. I know what I want in my partner. It's been obvious to me for years, and probably why I never allowed myself to actually consider really having what I wanted.

The prerequisites as they stand: male, long, chestnut hair, an adorable nose that turns up just slightly at the end, indigo eyes that almost seem violet in the right lighting, agility like that of a cat, a sense of humor that tends to disarm all that hear him, a voice that quite frankly gives more than a twitch of interest, pale skin that begs to be touched.... Okay, time to stop that train of thought.

And of course that train of thought is partly what caused me to be late to Quatre's that day. Had I known Relena would be looking for me, perhaps I would have turned on my cell or answered the hotel phone when it rang rather than just heading out the door. But none of that happened, and she called Quatre's.

I could tell something was on their minds, and Quatre had that look, so I was sure I wasn't to be let in on the discussion. I thought perhaps past relationships had been the discussion with the look on Duo's face, but I didn't dare ask. He'd always been comfortable talking with me before, and I thought that perhaps Quatre had ended the discussion because of my current situation. Not that I didn't appreciate the gesture, but it was a quickly beaten down urge to reach for Duo with those hurt eyes. But then he pulled that mask out of his ass, I'm sure that's where it hides, and the hurt was gone.

I had nearly made it to the door when I finally figured out my secret was far less of a secret at that point than I thought.

“Where are you staying?”

I was in shock when he spoke. Duo wasn't supposed to know a damned thing about it, and here he was cutting right into the middle of the secret without even looking me in the eye. I remember turning to glare at Chang.

“I'm afraid it's a shared fault,” Wufei answered the glare. “She called.”

“I was going to wait until you were heading out. I was going to tell you what she called for once I had you alone out there,” Quatre said softly.

“And I damn well wanna know what's going on that my best friend couldn't talk to me,” Duo growled at us all.

I looked at him and then just turned to go out the door. Son of a bitch.

Quatre followed quickly and delivered Relena's message. I was supposed to go and pick up some things that she was just sure I would need. Clothes being the most part of it, not that I didn't show up there daily for my shift, but it was an afternoon shift to check up on things and to be present for the changing of the guard as it were. I know a bit of the frustration with this matter crossed my face, and a fleeting look at Quatre's eyes told me he was sorry and pained to be delivering a message of such nature.

I assured him it was fine, and that it was just something that I had been delayed in completing. I then got in my car and left for the hotel. I needed a chance to settle my thoughts that were refusing to let go of the hurt expression and tone of Duo's voice. Now not only when I entered but when I left as well.

It wasn't like in answer to him I could have just blurted out that it was because I was attracted to him instead of Relena. That I truly wanted something I couldn't have and hated myself for not being able to lay that damned pipe dream to rest.

I was not thinking clearly when the knock came on the door about an hour later. I just went and pulled the door open expecting to turn away the maid's service. I don't have a clue what the look on my face said to him, but my mind was totally unable to focus for the first few seconds outside of going 'Duo?'

“Hey, gonna invite me in?”

“Here?”

“Yeah here,” Duo said with a grin that left my mind racing for better vocal skills. “Come on 'Ro. Can't leave a guy in the hall, can ya?”

I stepped aside letting him in while I stared at the floor still trying to find a way to string more than a few words together. He took himself inside and sat down on the little couch in the room and waited. When I finally closed the door and came to the room from the little hall, Duo was sitting there looking up at me.

“So ya gonna come over and sit down, or are you too good to sit with the likes of me?” Duo asked with a chuckle.

“Never,” I breathed a bit hurt that I left him with the thought at all, even in such a joking tone.

“Are you sure? I mean you stayed the weekend, didn't say a word, and now I find out you ditched me for a hotel,” Duo said offering that bit of reproach with humor that always seemed to sting just a bit without really making me feel like the dirt I thought I should.

“It was nothing personal.”

“Then why is it I'm the one in the dark?” Duo asked. Though I'm not sure he expected my answer.

“I didn't want to stir up bad memories for you. I'm sure your leaving Hilde was painful, and I didn't want my and Relena's divorce to cause you pain as well.”

He looked at me for a moment like I should be checking for a second and maybe third head before throwing an arm around my shoulders companionably and telling me that it wasn't a damned painful thing for him at all. I'd have never thought that she was merely like a sister, and that it had been a way to save money only. Though I guess I should have considered the thought. He was always cautious with money, even when it wasn't his.

It was about an hour of his talking in that lost in memories way to clear up exactly what had come of that situation. Hilde had found a guy she was rather fond of, and he had felt he was impeding on their becoming what they could become. 

I couldn't help myself though I had hoped it would be missed and I'd be able to cover it up with something else. “Ever think about whether or not you could be hopelessly attracted to someone?”

“Isn't everyone?”

“I guess....,” I sighed in that frustrated way I remembered doing when even self destruct didn't seem like the fitting back up plan.

He insisted I stay with him, even after turning him down a couple times. I finally gave in, not that I didn't want to stay with him. I wasn't all that fond of the hotel, but I also wasn't overly sure of just how long I could stay before he started to see through me in ways I just couldn't bare.


	2. Chapter 2

DUO'S POV

I'm not a materialistic kind of guy. I mean with my history, it just never was possible to begin with, but I think I had more stuff when I moved from L2 than Heero brought into the place. He had 2 boxes, and a good part of that was clothing. It wasn't like I expected him to bring a ton of stuff and a storage unit too, but I had expected him to have a few more personal things.

He seemed to settle into the guest room just fine. 

He'd only really had about a month to settle in when Quatre had to go out of town for a couple of weeks. In fact, Quatre was gone for three days before Trowa asked to stay for a while. I didn't even bother to ask Heero. Can't say it really crossed my mind. Trowa always stayed with me when Quat' was out of town for an extended time frame. Neither of us were up for all those servants and being taken care of. Hell there was a lot of teasing between us about him being a 'kept man'.

I don't know what Heero really thought about Trowa's showing up not long after we got home, and I can't say I asked either. I just caught the confused look and said, like it was the obvious answer, “Quat's out of town.”

Now when Heero and I are alone in the place, he's not above voicing those questions he thinks seem kind of stupid. I get a little look that dares me to mock him, and usually, with my thought processes being different than his, I don't. But with Trowa heading back the hall he wasn't about to say anything.

“He'll be sleeping in my room. It's not the first time we've shared a bed,” I said. I'm not sure what that look was after that. If it were someone else, I'd venture a mix of relief and jealousy. But what did he have to worry about on either front? It wasn't like he had any designs on me at all; I wasn't even on the radar.

And yes, it even sounds a bit bitter in my head, okay? I know it's stupid to be pissy about it, and that just makes it more annoying.

Trowa helped me fix dinner that night. It's interesting and amazing what the man can put together. You'd think of all of us, we'd be the ones the least picky about what we ate. But it's the farthest from reality, granted, I think I'm willing to eat the least appealing stuff. That's what you get from having to eat from a dumpster growing up, but that doesn't mean it's what we wanted to eat. We'd have gladly eaten real food from plates, had that been a damned option.

Heero went and took a shower while we worked on dinner. At least, that better be the reason I heard the shower running. It's not like it can turn itself on, after all. And Trowa and I enjoyed the usual banter we have. Teasing about his 'kept' status and not losing his touch in a kitchen. We even went as far as picking out what movie we'd watch after dinner. Heero tends to read in the evenings while I half watch the TV and sometimes sketch. It's not like our movie choice would interrupt his reading any more than the usual shows I watched.

He made it into the kitchen as Trowa pulled the loaf of bread out of the oven. I went ahead and filled the bowls. “Just in time,” I called as he started to pass through into the front room.

“It's ready?”

“Of course, do you doubt us?” I asked with a smirk. His eyes worried me a bit, but it's not like that fleeting look was going to ruin my entire evening. At least not if I could figure out what it was about, anyway.

“No,” he answered with the shake of his head. He took the seat right at the doorway as I sat a bowl in front of him.

Trowa was quieter than usual, but we did have Heero sitting there. And even though they were friends, they just weren't as close as he and I were. Or maybe just not in the same way. We had that similar history thing that helped us to understand the other maybe a bit better in some ways. We held those little secrets a bit closer too maybe. I just can't imagine being able to sit there and talk to Chang about some of those things I'd told Trowa, like that unrequited love interest that happened to be sitting at the table with us.

I will admit to having a passing thought that wondered how Quatre and Trowa talked to each other about some things. We had that rough past that Quatre just didn't share, and I wasn't sure he could understand the discomfort of the staff waiting on Trowa alone. But he understood that Trowa was staying with me because it was more comfortable than being there without Quatre. Now there's a conversation to hear. I want to know how that topic got broached the first time he came back. Hell the one side of the phone call was interesting. I mean you don't pick up the phone every day to a frantic CEO wanting to know if you've heard from his missing lover.

It didn't take us long to clean up after dinner. We went back into the front room, and Trowa went ahead and put the movie in to play. We both sat on the couch. Heero looked at us from his rather comfy place in the overstuffed chair a few times that I saw. I probably missed a few considering I let myself get lost in the movie a few times.

“Looks like about time for bed, eh Tro'?” I said stretching as the credits rolled. 

“Getting close,” he said back with a wistful little smile.

I leaned into the corner of the couch and watched him for a minute. I even spared a moment to watch Heero who seemed to look at the clock and become aware of the early hour. Only an hour earlier than usual, but he didn't know the pattern Trowa and I had established not long after I moved back to Earth.

When the phone rang, I gave a knowing smile, “Hey Tro' ya wanna get that?”

He nodded and headed for the kitchen. 

“We're both right here. We could have gotten it,” Heero said looking through dark bangs at me.

“But then he would have less time talking to Quat',” I assured before getting up and heading for the doorway.

Trowa gave me this little look like he'd love to have a quiet place to talk, and I nodded my head toward the bedroom. “Go on, I've got plenty to do out here before I have to worry about bed.” He gave me that grateful smile that just about makes me feel like I've damn well saved the world and handed him a silver platter with his naked lover on it all in one fell swoop before he went on down the hall with the cordless pressed to his ear and murmuring into the receiver.

I couldn't help the soft smile I had on my face when I went back in and put the movie away. It didn't occur to me that it might not look normal to someone else until Heero was watching me rather than reading.

“What?” I asked, just a bit annoyed that I seemed to be so damned interesting to him suddenly.

“Is this normal?”

“For the three of us, yes,” I answered.

“Three?”

“Yes, Quat' goes out of town. Trowa stays here. And when Quat' can't find Trowa at home, he calls here.”

Heero sat there for a bit before asking, “How long is he staying?” 

I'd have gotten annoyed with that if he didn't just sound so damned confused. He was trying to figure out just what was going on, and it finally occurred to me that this must not have happened before I came back to Earth. And in a way, that made me feel really good. I felt bad for Trowa being stuck on his own with a house full of servants before, but to know I was the only one he felt he could turn to was a really nice ego boost.

“Quat's gone until the end of next week, so until then. He'll go home the night Quat's due back in.”

That seemed to be what he wanted to know, but there were these little glances every few minutes that baffled me. I mean, what else was there to ask. He knew where Trowa was sleeping and how long he'd be with us. He didn't have any concern over any cost on incoming calls. Had Trowa not taken that moment to walk back in, I'd have been asking him what I was doing that was so fascinating.

“Thanks,” he said leaning in the doorway.

“Time for bed?” I asked looking at the way Trowa's face held that happy and sad expression so neatly. I'm sure everyone gets that look when they talk to someone they care about and miss. Happy to hear from them and get that warm fuzzy feeling inside, but sad that they aren't close and the lonely feeling of not being able to reach out and touch them. 

Trowa nodded and turned back toward the hall. I was on my feet and right behind him, only stopping long enough to look back at Heero, “We're going to bed. See ya in the morning.”

I got a little 'hn' for an answer. His eyes did this little flicker of something, and I figured he was just annoyed by my not asking him for permission for Trowa to stay over. I was right back on Trowa's heels in a couple strides. We closed the bedroom door and for the first time in a long time, we both crawled into my bed.

Not that closing the door was anything major. It was just so that our talking wouldn't disturb Heero if he went to bed before we actually went to sleep. Normally, Trowa would sit on the couch and chat with Quatre. And when that nice little light went off on the base, I'd give him a few more minutes before going in and taking up my space on the other end of the couch. We'd talk for a bit so he could tell what he wanted to of their conversation, ya know, the he's doing this and that, somebody pissed him off saying something in this or that meeting. Then we'd go back the hall, splitting at the doors to the rooms with a warm 'good night'. 

“So, Quat' having fun out there?”

“If that's fun, I'd hate to know what hell would be like for him. Remember me telling you about the guy with the comb over?”

I nodded.

“He's back to trying to set Quatre up with his daughter. The second in line this time. Still thinks he can get the businesses together that way.”

“Poor Quat'. How many nice ways are there to say 'I'm gay' without saying it that he hasn't already tried?” I chuckled.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

The day I moved in was rather uneventful. I brought in my belongings only to have Duo ask where they were. I suppose considering the extravagant manner in which Relena lived would leave people to believe that I would have had more possessions as her husband. I suppose I had technically owned more, but since they were gifts from her, I didn't feel it was appropriate to take some of the more expensive items. I brought what I felt were things that meant something to me. Not that I was about to tell Duo that I only kept things that had a special meaning to me. I could point out a couple things in that box he gave me personally without a thought to them, and I didn't want him to become uncomfortable over the value I had placed on them.

It wasn't difficult getting my things settled into the room. The hard part wasn't even about to begin. Adjusting to living with him wasn't like adjusting to a new roommate exactly. We'd shared times together in the past, in safe houses where we could be there for no one knew how long. But this wasn't like being forced together that way. This was something that was going to take some getting used to, but I was more than willing to adjust to his routine. No servants to take care of things was going to be nice. It was odd to set something down, leave the room to do something, and come back to it being gone. I don't know how many cups of tea I lost that way when I first moved in with Relena.

I had just gotten to the point where I felt truly comfortable in the routine about a month later when Trowa showed up after work. I hadn't been informed of a scheduled visit and that left me wondering if it was a common occurrence each month or if it were just his dropping by. Though, I had always thought Trowa would be the type to call and get clearance before just stopping by.

“Quat's out of town,” Duo said as if that explained away the entire thing. I wish it had. It left me wondering what was happening. I wondered why he hadn't stopped by before Quatre had gone out of town. And just where was he going to be staying with that duffle bag in his hand. I had taken the only other bedroom when I moved in.

“He'll be sleeping my room. It's not the first time we've shared a bed,” Duo said.

Not the first time? Sharing a bed? Why was Trowa sleeping there in the first place? Now that is something I'd like an answer to just for starters. And aside from the relief I felt that Trowa knew which room he was sleeping in, which wasn't mine, I wasn't thrilled that he would be sleeping in the same bed as Duo. 

Okay, so he's not mine. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't prefer to be the one in his bed.

Well now, if that just isn't the most painful thought I've had in a while. What would I do in his bed? I know what I would want to do, and that just wasn't an option. I'm pretty sure you don't wake up wrapped around our personal Shinigami without ending up as a name on his death note in some gruesome fashion.

When I heard them start cooking, I decided to go ahead and take my shower. It wasn't like I was going to be good company at that point. My own thoughts about regretting not being the one in Duo's bed, and the sick thoughts I had about what could happen between them despite my knowing better, were ruining my mood all together. I hoped that after a hot shower perhaps I would be able to stop my mind enough that maybe I would at least not sound like I hated someone that I thought of as a friend. I just had to keep reminding myself that absolutely nothing was going to happen in that bed with Duo besides sleep. 

I was passing through the kitchen door way and into the living room when I heard Duo call out, “Just in time.”

“It's ready?” I asked. I didn't think I'd taken that long in the shower. I was just trying to calm down, not totally destroy the hot water tank's ability to create hot water.

“Of course, do you doubt us?” he asked. I saw the faint smirk on his lips when I turned back into the kitchen before it faded. 

I figured I must have been looking pretty much like a kicked puppy when his expression changed so fast, and I tried to muster a bit of a mask to keep him from seeing just how much this entire stay was going to work at me if I didn't find a way to deal with it, and fast.

“No,” I replied shaking my head. I took the seat by the doorway when he began to sit a bowl in front of me. 

I wondered if Trowa and Duo were normally this quiet when he visited. When Quatre is around it's harder to notice if everyone is talking frequently. He has this way of talking that seems to put everyone at ease, and when you are listening to him it doesn't leave you wondering what the others are normally like. It's just comfortable and easy.

I can't say that Trowa and I were best friends. I was far closer to Chang, and even he didn't know that I was lovesick over Duo Maxwell. Hell, one of those little items I didn't want to have to explain away was the bullet I dug out of my arm. You'd think that would be a pretty good sign I shouldn't be with him. He shot me. Seems like that should be a clue, but that was a war. And we hadn't met before, so how was he to know I wouldn't really shoot her. 

Okay I was going to, but damn it, she should have left me alone that night. Hell, considering the current situation, she should have left me alone, period. Or where would this have landed had I succeeded? No, that wouldn't have happened. She was needed for peace, and she's a nice girl. Sweet. I wouldn't want harm to come to her. That was just my foul mood wanting to take control, again. Like it had all those times I'd told her I was going to kill her.

After dinner, I helped carry the dishes over to the sink and was then told to go. They would take care of the cleaning up. So I went back into the front room where I'd been headed before dinner in the first place. Duo has this overstuffed chair in there that I find very relaxing. The fabric is a faux suede that makes me think of how soft his skin probably is to touch. I picked up the latest book I was working on and settled in to get through another chapter or two before bed.

It wasn't long before they came into the room, and I glanced up to see Trowa starting a movie. They took over the couch, both looking quite comfortable. I don't know why it was so necessary for me to keep stealing glances their way. It wasn't like I thought they would do anything sitting there with me in the room, but I couldn't help myself. Usually, Duo has some sketch pad in his lap, and a few stolen glimpses of him working go completely unnoticed. But he caught me a couple times, made eye contact, and I felt like I should be trying to explain myself, which only served to make it harder to not keep looking to see if he was watching me. Which, he wasn't. Not that I should have expected him to be. I was the one interested in him, not the other way around.

The credits began to roll, and I tried to look like I was immersed in my book.

“Looks like about time for bed, eh Tro'?” Duo said stretching and just a bit of his stomach showed as his shirt drew up. There was no way when he was going to be stretching like that, that my eyes weren't going to be peeking.

“Getting close,” Trowa answered. I could hear this little hopeful sound in his voice, like he dared not hope too much but couldn't help himself.

I glanced to the clock and began to wonder just what Duo was really talking about. It was only about 10, and normally we were up until 11 or 12. This strange feeling coiled in my stomach, and I hate to admit that I was pretty sure it was jealousy. Something wasn't right.

The phone rang causing me to pause in my thoughts. The phone didn't normally ring to begin with, and especially not at that hour.

“Hey Tro' ya wanna get that?” I caught this smile on Duo's lips as I looked back to see why he hadn't really gotten up to answer it. Then Trowa nodded and went into the kitchen where the cordless phone was.

“We're both right here. We could have gotten it,” I said not really bringing my head up from the level I would have held it to read. I could see him through my bangs, and that smile turning into a smirk.

“But then he would have less time talking to Quat',” he said and then headed for the kitchen where Trowa was.

He stood there for a moment, I guessed waiting for Trowa to look his way before he softly spoke, “Go on, I've got plenty to do out here before I have to worry about bed.” The next thing I heard were Trowa's footsteps going back the hall and his voice murmuring into Duo's phone.

Duo had this gentle smile when he turned back around and went about putting the movie away. Then he was settling back in on the couch. It was like watching a different person than the one I'd been living with for a month. He was so relaxed and content. It gave me this odd feeling of imposing on him that I hadn't really felt since the end of the first week.

“What?” he asked, just barely keeping it from sounding like he was snapping at me.

“Is this normal?” I asked. Normal how, I wasn't sure I could explain. I just hoped he knew what I was asking. 

“For the three of us, yes,” he answered. 

“Three?” Us who, my mind added for me.

“Yes, Quat' goes out of town. Trowa stays here. And when Quat' can't find Trowa at home, he calls here.”

I pondered that over. When Quatre can't find Trowa I think was the most disturbing part. It wasn't like it was a scheduled visit then. It was like he just shows up, and Duo knows by instinct what is happening. Why does Trowa stay with Duo? So many questions and yet I had a feeling I had to pick and choose these questions carefully. I didn't want to upset Duo by asking the wrong one or in the wrong way. And with my mood swinging in the jealous direction, I knew that wasn't going to be easy.

“How long is he staying?” I finally asked. I should at least understand how long we were going to have a guest if I was to consider this my home as well for the time being.

“Quat's gone until the end of next week, so until then. He'll go home the night Quat's due back in.”

I nodded slightly with a bit of a sigh. I kept glancing back at Duo every few minutes wanting to ask about the whole situation, but unsure how to really go about getting clarification without offending him. I knew full well that his home was open to his friends day or night, warning or no, and that had included me, even if I hadn't fully taken advantage of it to start with. I was relieved of the opportunity when Trowa came back from Duo's room and leaned in the doorway.

“Thanks.”

“Time for bed?” Duo asked, his eyes on Trowa's face with this little smile I'm not sure he even realized he had.

Trowa nodded in response and started to head back into the hall. Duo was up and across the room instantly, only pausing in his pursuit long enough to say, “We're going to bed. See ya in the morning.”

“Hn.” That was the closest I was going to get to speaking. There was no way I could have said a word to him without it sounding pained. And if I'd thought that was painful, the sound of Duo's door closing behind them was heart wrenching.

Not that I had any right to be jealous or upset. Duo wasn't attracted to me, and they were just friends. It wasn't like he had another room for Trowa to stay in at this point with me there. I felt like a complete heel, and that I was in the way.

I put my book back on the end table and checked the locks before heading to bed myself. It was going to do me no good to sit there, not that lying in bed was going to be much improvement. At least if they got up for anything later, they wouldn't find me still sitting there brooding over this mess I had quite completely gotten myself into.

* * *

DUO'S POV

The next morning was odd. I was comfortable with the warmth of a hand on my shoulder. There was a muffled grumble as the alarm clock went off and then the hand was gone, drawn across the bed as the body turned onto it's side. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled and turned off the alarm.

I was just closing the door when I realized Heero's door was only half open. I looked in to find him still in bed which wasn't normal.

“Hey, Yuy, that internal clock of yours get reset?”

He grumbled something back, and I couldn't help a little smile. He was a damned handsome man during the day, and quite frankly, a wondrous sight when he gets up in the morning. “You feeling okay?” I asked and went over to the side of his bed. I wouldn't have been so daring, but he was always up for a jog on Friday mornings. He should have just been coming out of the bathroom from a shower, not turning over to glare at a clock.

“Yeah,” he groaned as he sat up and gave me that warning glare that told me not to come closer. He might be damned fine first thing in the morning, but he was not friendly. He was absolutely not a morning person.

He left me with the feeling that he hadn't slept well, if much at all that night. But I took the hint from the glare and went on out, closed his door, and went to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. I may be friendly when I wake up, but I'm not exactly awake until after that first good dose of caffeine.

Coffee maker started, I hurried up and got breakfast made. I didn't think Heero would appreciate me darting down the hallway naked as the day I was born after a shower. He squirmed badly enough when he'd seen me heading down the hall in a towel that second morning. I could grab clothes and get a quick one when Trowa got himself up in another half hour. 

When Heero made it into the kitchen, I already had his plate waiting for him. I was only a few bites in at that point and took the time to watch him sit down. “God Yuy, you look like shit. You sure you're feeling alright?”

“I'm fine,” he groused. 

I wanted to push for answers. He was seriously worrying me, but it wasn't like I was going to be able to force answers out of him. I'd just have to wait for him to figure out what he wanted to tell, if he even wanted to tell me anything. I was finding that as a best friend I got left in the dark frequently. Not that I wasn't just as guilty with him about hiding certain things.

I had thought I would have more time to try to talk to him, but Trowa didn't lounge around as long as usual. I wondered if he was going in to the shelter early with Quat' gone and Heero acting so oddly. It wasn't like the animal shelter couldn't run itself without him, but he enjoyed the work so who was I to begrudge him?

The car ride to work was out of the question. I was not going to sit around waiting for his sparring session with Wufei to end. Those two were bad about forgetting to end on time if they were doing particularly well. Perhaps that was truly what Heero needed anyway. A physical release to whatever was frustrating him. 

* * *

HEERO'S POV

“Hey, Yuy, that internal clock of yours get reset?” Duo called softly from the door. 

I can't say I was pleased to be hearing anything at that point that wasn't a dream and quite frankly, those hadn't been all that kind when I had managed to sleep.

“Fucking morning people,” I grumbled into the pillow. 

“You feeling okay?” Duo asked and I heard cautious footsteps padding into the room. 

I should have been out jogging. I should have already had a shower and been starting breakfast. But I slept so poorly, that I just hadn't managed to get my ass out of bed. It hadn't seemed nearly as necessary for that one morning. It wasn't like I wasn't going to have that sparring session with Chang after work, and that meant I wasn't slacking off completely.

I rolled over and glared at the clock and groaned, “Yeah.” I sat up and glared at how close he'd managed to really get without my realizing it. If he dared to touch me I don't know how I'd have managed. I wanted to wake up next to him, and a part of me was resenting knowing that Barton had done just that.

It became glaringly clear to me in that moment that I would be in that horrendous mood again despite the soft, concerned voice waking me was Duo's.

I listened to Duo in the kitchen for a few minutes before getting up and heading to the kitchen. The smell of the coffee was a welcome thing, and the plate waiting for me on the table was just as welcomed.

“God Yuy, you look like shit. You sure you're feeling alright?” he asked.

“I'm fine,” I groused. 

I didn't want to have to say I hadn't slept due to stewing over the fact that it wasn't me in his bed. Perhaps after a good round of sparring I could feel more like explaining things to Duo about my confusion over Trowa's arrival. I thought if I could just find a way to discuss what was going on for the time frame Trowa was there minus the sexual issues, I could resolve this stupid jealous feeling and ease Duo's mind at the same time.

* * *

“Yuy, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Chang, it's been a rough night, and it's not going to get better for a week.”

“And why is that?” he asked me looking up from where he was stretching.

“It's not exactly something I can explain,” I lied. Well, maybe not. It certainly wasn't something that I could explain to him. Not without risking internal combustion. Or finding out if a human truly could die of embarrassment.

“Barton is staying at Maxwell's again this week, isn't he?” he asked watching me far too closely. 

“He is,” I said flatly and refused to meet those intuitive eyes.

“Does Barton find the couch uncomfortable for sleeping?”

“He's not sleeping on the couch,” I answered before realizing I was basically giving him every damned clue he needed. 

We moved into the first fighting stance to face off before he spoke again. “So it bothers you that they are sleeping in the same room?”

I nodded before taking my first swing. He glided out of the way smoothly, and I dodged his strike as well. We continued on, I'd gotten in a few touches as had he. Then he said something that just caused me to just stop and stare at him in shock, “You really think it isn't obvious that you have feelings for Maxwell?”

He gave me this small, knowing smile.

“Not a word Chang. Not one word,” I grumbled.

* * *

DUO'S POV

“Are you sure it's alright that I'm staying here?” Trowa asked me yet again. I understood the reasoning behind it. He'd seen Heero just as I had. And it kind of pissed me off in a way when I thought about it too hard. I mean, where did he get off deciding to make one of our best friends feel unwelcome in my home?

“You are absolutely welcome to stay here, and you know it,” I said again. We'd been at this for damn near a half hour, and I was starting to wonder how long he and Quatre ended up debating things before one of them just said to hell with it and let the other have his way.

“He seems a bit upset though. Perhaps it would be best if I just suffered through the servants,” he sighed.

I shook my head. “I don't have a clue what's up with him, but I intend to find out. You are not going to deal with overactive servants running wild without Quat' to keep them tamed.”

The door swung open and that ended the conversation with me in a winning position I think. Heero went through into the hall and back to his room. I couldn't tell if he'd shaken that bad mood or not.

“Wait here,” I said and went on down the hall.

I walked into the room and watched Heero go about putting away his clothes from his sparring session with Wufei and the few things he took with him. When he turned around, his eyes landed on me with a bit of surprise. I stepped far enough out of the door to close it.

“Alright, talk to me 'Ro. What is going on?”

He gave a heavy sigh and just shook his head. “It's nothing really.”

“Even Tro' can tell something is bothering you,” I said hoping that he would take the hint and realize that Trowa felt like it was his fault.

“I am fine. I felt like an intruder last night is all,” he finally said, and I think I got a bit wide eyed at the statement. 

“Intruder? Why?”

“It was nothing.”

Which is Heero speak for 'I am not going to talk about it'. So, I leaned back against the door and waited.

“Maxwell, I assure you that nothing is wrong. I am fine.”

I sighed and knew that I was not going to win this battle. I think all I was going to do was make matters worse, and that was not my intent. “When you are ready to tell me what the hell has gotten into you, let me know. I do mean it when I call you my best friend after all,” I said, the dejection a very prominent sound in my voice.

It hurt me, deeply. I just got out of the room, closed the door behind me, and went back down the hall to Trowa. When I slumped into the kitchen chair, Trowa's eyes ran up and down my body. He gave a sigh. “My fault,” he said quietly.

“No, I think there is something going on that he isn't ready to face yet. I just wish he'd tell me what the fuck was going on.”

He seemed to listen for a minute, I guess listening for Heero's door to open, before he spoke. “And it kills you that he won't confide in the one who loves him most,” that statement had a hint of question to it as if daring me to disagree with him. But in all honesty, I couldn't.

“Ya know Tro', if it were Quat' this would be a lot easier. He'd not be playing the tough guy that doesn't need anyone,” I sighed.

“Ah, but that's why you love Heero, and I love Quatre. You need a challenge,” I chuckled.

“Like Quat' isn't a challenge. He's just as stubborn as the rest of us,” I teased.

“True, but at least I can get him talk to me. And usually without spending over a week trying to pry it out of him. But I guess part of that came from a few months of figuring out just what to say to get him started.”

“So, I just need a couple more months of pulling teeth to get him started?”

“Maybe for whatever this problem is,” he teased.

“Yeah, no way 'he' will ever just come right out and tell me. Just wouldn't be him, or me I guess.”

Trowa started to say something else, but stopped when Heero's door opened. By the time he was in the shower, the conversation was lost. We started dinner, and at least I felt a little more like my jester self than the crushed thing I'd been when I had finished talking to Heero.

* * *

Heero closed his book and laid it on the end table at 11, just like he did about every night. He looked over to Trowa and I for a moment before excusing himself and saying good night to both of us. He'd been a bit better than the night before. Trowa and I muttered our good nights to him both a bit in shock I think. I know I was rather surprised.

When Heero's door closed, we exchanged looks, and then I knew Trowa was as thrown as I was. It was more like being at one of Quatre's dinners, and that wasn't where any of the three of us really felt comfortable.

“Duo, I really think...”

“No,” I cut in before he could say he should go back home. “He's going to have to come around to whatever it is in his own way. We just have to wait for him to figure out whatever it is.”

'I felt like an intruder last night,' the words echoed in my head. Intruder...that bothered me. What was there to intrude on? He's always liked seeing the guys. He'd told me as much a long time ago. But that was during the war I guess, and that meant a better chance of coming out alive. It wasn't like we had other friends at the time or lives.

I sighed. I was aware of it when Trowa put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. “I guess we should go to bed too.”

I nodded.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I at least felt like I was in control by the time I got home. Home. It was odd to call it that when I felt more like an intruder or a house guest than a roommate. I wondered what the topic of conversation had been when I opened the door because it stopped when I entered. I hurried back to my room to put my duffle bag away. I did need to put my clothes in the laundry, and a shower would absolutely be the next thing necessary.

I was in my own little world as Duo would say. My mind was doing it's own little laps pondering over the conversation I had stopped. I was very surprised to turn to find Duo Maxwell standing in my room, though I tried to keep it from showing on my face.

I guess my noticing him was the cue he was waiting for, or my not sending him away so I could get my shower. Either way, he closed the door and his eyes seemed to give me a quick once over looking for, what I assume, was my foul mood from the morning.

“Alright, talk to me 'Ro. What is going on?”

I sighed heavily shaking my head. “It's nothing really.” And it wasn't. At least not like I really felt like it was. I knew full well that Trowa was our friend, and no threat even to my desire for a relationship with Duo. So it just made me feel really stupid to be so worked up over it. It truly was nothing but my being over sensitive.

“Even Tro' can tell something is bothering you,” he said. I could tell then that the conversation I'd interrupted most likely entailed Trowa feeling guilty for staying. Something I was sure had not been an issue before my mood last night.

“I am fine. I felt like an intruder last night is all,” I said. His eyes got a little wider, I think surprised by my just saying it as much as by my not feeling like I belonged here.

“Intruder? Why?”

“It was nothing.” Hadn't I already declared that a few minutes ago? It really was nothing that wasn't all in my head. I really just didn't think it would ever be time to discuss my desire to be closer to him. 

He leaned back against the door, hands in his jean pockets, and just waited. I guess he hoped if he gave me a minute, I might just say more. Not that I didn't want to tell him how much I cared for him and that it was eating at me having to sleep a few feet away from them together in a bed. But I didn't at the same time.

I did not want to lose the man in any way shape or form over some stupid dream that was never going to happen anyway.

“Maxwell, I assure you that nothing is wrong. I am fine.” I knew I'd pretty much made it obvious something was wrong when I said Maxwell instead of Duo. I only called him Duo at home. The closeness we shared there was that special to me.

Duo sighed and gave up the battle. “When you are ready to tell me what the hell has gotten into you, let me know. I do mean it when I call you my best friend after all,” he said, the dejection in his voice like a knife in my heart.

He turned and left the room then, closing the door behind him. A part of me ached to reach out and comfort him. Though I was very aware of just how dangerous that had a risk of being. I had to question Wufei's belief in my intentions towards Duo were so obvious. They weren't obvious at all to Duo, and you'd think he'd be the one to notice of us all. But I guess Chang is probably the most observant of us all in a way.

I grabbed my change of clothes and headed for the shower. I hoped the hot water would help ease the discomfort I felt and let me get my head out of my ass enough to make the evening normal for them.

Damn but that water felt good, hot and running over my skin. I hate to admit that I stayed in the shower longer than necessary to become clean, but it was doing wonders toward getting my head together. 

By the time I was out of the shower, I had determined that I was not going to allow my mood to show again while Trowa was here. I was not going to let my mood come between Duo and Trowa. They were friends, and I was sure closer than Duo and I were. I didn't want either of them to feel like they had to chose.

* * *

At 11, I just laid my book on the table beside the chair like I tended to do. It wasn't like I was going to go to bed and read more. I was going to attempt to actually sleep, unlike the night before. I excused myself and wished them both a good night before standing and heading to my room. They mumbled good nights sounding a bit confused. I wondered what I'd done now, but didn't feel as though asking would go over well. Perhaps it was just the change in my mood from the night before that was throwing them if they really did think it was Trowa's fault. And I hoped that I had done enough to make him feel more welcome in Duo's home.

Sleep was as elusive as it was the night before. I had thought that the lack of sleep the night before would leave me tired enough to gain it more quickly. Those little laps of thoughts chose the tired state to twist some more and make things worse.


	3. Chapter 3

DUO'S POV

Trowa had returned home. And the next time I saw Quatre, I made him promise to make me aware of his next trip out of town. I explained that Heero had been confused the first night, and how I had screwed up by not getting around to telling him about the situation before Trowa got there. Quatre gave me that knowing look that just lets you know he feels bad for all involved, from my stupidity to Heero and Trowa's discomfort. He assured me he'd let me know so that Trowa didn't try to tough it out next time.

Heero seemed to be more 'normal' by the end of the week. I had intended to sit down and try to get him to talk to me, but since he'd dealt with whatever it was, I thought perhaps I should leave it. So I did. I wanted him to tell me what it had all been about, and it was obvious it had been Trowa's presence that made the difference. I just hoped that it was the timing and lack of information that had made it worse, and not Trowa himself. I would not believe that Heero had acted that way just because Trowa was here; they were friends after all.

I was impressed by how quickly the divorce really was over. I'm guessing that had to do with high priced lawyers, and nothing to argue over separating. I mean he didn't want Relena's property, there were no children or pets to divide up, and he refused to take anything that he hadn't earned on his own. Now that's a man. There was some small blip of an article stating they had separated, not really stating a reason. Just that it had happened.

I decided that night should be something special. Not because I thought he wanted a celebration, but because I thought it might help make things easier. I had no idea what his favorite food was, but I did try to remember what we'd eaten when together and tried to figure out which he seemed to enjoy the most.

I counted myself lucky it was a sparring night. It gave me time to swing by the store and then to actually cook the stuff. It was an odd feeling that I loved, probably too much. I even picked out a movie I thought he could watch instead of read for an evening. It wasn't an easy job to pick a movie that he would rather watch than read. 

I think I'd worked myself into a nice little frenzy by the time he got home. He went back and got his shower as usual, and when he came back out, I had dinner on the table.

“What's the occasion?” he asked.

I wondered why he needed to ask that. Did he think that I wouldn't want to try to make the evening pleasant since I knew how torn he was at the start of this divorce?

“You need to ask me? I thought...”

“Duo, it's not necessary,” he said and his voice was soft, and was that affection I heard? I must have been losing my mind, because Heero Yuy would not sound affectionate toward little ol' me.

“You are my friend, and that may not make it necessary, but it makes it worth the effort,” I said watching him sit down and look over his plate.

I watched him eat somewhat distractedly. Though he did have a nice little, dare I say wistful, smile on his face. It was charming, to say the least. And it made every bit of the nerves about this idea well worth it.

“Duo?”

I shook my head and drew myself out of my little happy bubble to look at him a bit more realistically. He was watching me and waiting for something.

“Yeah?” Oh yeah, I was really sharp with that line.... Oh where had my wit gone?

“Are you alright? You aren't eating,” he said. 

I looked down to realize I had the fork on the plate, but I'd stopped eating while watching him.

“Yeah, just a bit distracted tonight, that's all,” I assured and made myself start eating again.

I think he was humoring me by the time we sat down to watch the movie, and he even joined me on the couch instead of his usual chair. There was a little surge of hope that I quickly tamped down brutally before it could try to take hold. What was I doing to myself? He doesn't even know I'm alive in that respect.

He went to bed with one of those nice little smiles still on his face. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to follow him right into that room and curl up with him. Make sure that he stayed in a 'good mood' all night. 

* * *

HEERO'S POV

The paperwork showing the end of the divorce arrived that morning at the office. Chang was patient as he watched me read it over making sure Relena hadn't slipped in something else I didn't know about. She was persistent when it came to my taking certain gifts with me. I finally acquiesced to a few of the items, only because I was fond of them. They had been quite expensive so I'd refused to take them in the first place. I would not have anyone turning this into my trying to get my hands on her money.

When I got home from sparring, Chang had me in a good mood. It wasn't that I was upset over the divorce, but I was a bit concerned with Relena's mood over it. She had sounded fine on the phone when I called to check on her, and had continued that very opinion when I was over for my time checking on the security.

I went back and got my shower, rather surprised that Duo hadn't greeted me and asked if I was alright. I was sure Chang had mentioned telling Duo about it at lunch. Not that he couldn't have bumped into the delivery man and charmed the information right out of him in a few moments of banter. 

I had pushed aside the oddity of his not asking as trying to give me space by the time my shower was over, and got thrown for another loop when I entered the kitchen.

I had never really considered the concept of having favorite foods before. But as I looked at the plate he was setting on the table, I was sure he had put thought into dinner. There was a dish from Relena's parties that I always ate. And the sides were ones I tended to eat quite well here at the apartment as well. Everything was something I recalled fondly indulging in at some point. Perhaps it was the company, but I couldn't help myself. I allowed the smile to come to my face.

I was half way through the plate when I looked up to ask him what made him think of these foods when I noticed he wasn't eating. He was sitting there, a funny little smile on his lips, and his eyes seemed a little glazed over.

“Duo?”

He shook his head and seemed to finally see me once again. “Yeah?” he asked weakly.

“Are you alright? You aren't eating,” I said watching him closely.

He looked down at his plate, and I think he just realized he'd stopped eating.

“Yeah, just a bit distracted tonight, that's all,” Duo assured and started eating again.

He mentioned a movie he'd picked to watch for the evening, and after it seemed he'd been so attentive to the meal, I couldn't even begin to deny his request to watch with him. I thought about how he and Trowa had sat on the couch so close and comfortable. So, I took the chance of joining him on the couch as he had. It gave me a chance to be closer to him without drawing suspicion I hoped.

When the movie was over it was almost time for bed anyway, so I watched him stretch as he does after most movies. That little glimpse of belly peeking out to torment me for a moment before disappearing back under the cotton shirt.

I couldn't get the little smile off my face if I'd tried. I had thought about trying, but the evening had been so companionable that I didn't want to ruin it. I wanted to remember it in all it's perfection. Or as close to perfection as it could be without being able to reach out and touch him.

* * *

DUO'S POV

Another retrieval run had kept me out for a few days. I was exhausted. I hadn't realized just how exhausted until I fell asleep on the couch that night.

It wasn't the first time it had happened, and I was certain it wouldn't be the last. I'm sure we've all had that problem, hard at the worst possible moment. And with Heero's eyes on my sleeping body, I was sure he knew before I did that I was hard. I was fortunate that he didn't say anything, but damn it all, I was still embarrassed as hell. I went back to my room and got myself a change of clothes and headed for the shower.

If nothing else, I hoped the shower's spray would help mask the few sounds that tended to escape. The little gasps and moans, the groaning of a name. Yes, his name. There was a reason I had to make sure he didn't hear me at all. And not just for the embarrassment factor.

I went ahead and washed my hair first, lathering twice and conditioning. No reason I shouldn't take the shower now instead of in the morning, besides if I was lucky, Heero'd expect it to be a cold shower. I heard the first soft moan escape my lips as I washed my hair. After the weight of the braid pulling all day, it feels good to let it down and massage my scalp. Damned good.

It didn't take me long to move on to soaping myself up, though that's where a great deal of the process really begins I guess. The touching, lingering over spots I know all too well. The image of Heero's hands in place of mine taking hold of me as I go. “More,” I heard myself whisper as fingers brushed over my entrance. My other hand griped me and began the slow stroking. Fingers teased and gripped as I imagined Heero would do if it were him.

The position was a little awkward, but slipping a finger inside felt too good to not do it. And it's not like I hadn't had the practice. Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint, but since I figured out exactly who I wanted, I've not wasted the time on anyone else either. 

I didn't realize just how out of control my voice had gotten until I was leaned against the shower wall, panting, hoping my legs didn't give the hell out, and Heero knocked on the door.

“Duo?”

“What?” I asked, swallowing hard and blushing from the tips of my toes to the roots of my hair, if not all the way on out to the tips of the strands had it been possible.

“You alright?”

Had he not noticed? I'd have thought he'd have noticed for sure the way he was staring at me.

“Yeah,” I said trying to think of something else to say, but as I listened closely, I could hear his footsteps moving away. I was sure he made the sound on purpose so I'd know I had my privacy back, but it was a little late to be concerned about that.

I hurried up and finished my shower and went to bed. I called my 'good night' from the hall out of sight. I don't think I could have faced him without dying of embarrassment right then.

It took me awhile to get to sleep. But when I did, it was a welcome thing. Or it was until I woke to the sound of Heero screaming my name loud enough to wake the damned dead. The next scream was just sound, but I was already on my feet and clearing my doorway by then.

I had the good sense to stop just inside the door before getting too close. Some habits die hard, and others are permanent. That striking out at things too close before you identify them, is permanent. You can learn to restrain it a little, but you always feel that need to reach out and pin whatever it is before it gets you until you know it's safe.

“Heero?” I panted out loud enough I knew he'd hear me over his own panting and racing heart. 

He was sitting there, sheets tangled around his legs, and hugging himself so tightly I was sure he was going to bruise his own arms.

“Sorry,” he spoke, voice low and shaky.

I couldn't just stand there. My feet cleared the few steps across the room without a single thought. I sat down on the bed beside him. In the next moment, I took my life in my own hands and offered it up as I wrapped my arms around him hugging him to me. I feared he'd kill me, but I couldn't deny him what I felt was more important than my own life.

“You're shaking,” I whispered into his hair hugging him tightly too me.

I felt his muscles tense and expected him to shove me away. I can't even begin to catalog all the feelings that raced through me when his arms moved to wrap around me. His arms were tight around me, almost clinging to me as if it would make it all vanish away.

“Heero?” I called, my voice shaking a bit. I was worried about him. He'd never let me see him like this, vulnerable and needy.

He started to struggle to get free, but I kept my arms around him, wanting him to know that he didn't have to pull away. That he was allowed to take the comfort being offered. But all he could do was keep saying “sorry” over and over.

I waited for him to settle and the shaking to slow before easing up on my grip. I wasn't ready to let him go, but he didn't need me letting my desire to hold him take control. I was there for him, not the other way around.

“Wanna talk about it?” I asked. I let him raise up, only to hold his arms firmly so that he couldn't turn or move away. I wanted him to know that I was right there, not going anywhere long as he needed me. It was in me to think that had I held him against me with his head buried against my chest that perhaps his answer might have been different, but he had wanted free only moments before. And I wasn't about to force it upon him. I wanted him to know that I was willing to give him what he needed if he was willing to take it.

“Just a messed up dream....from back then,” he mumbled. He wasn't about to tell me, and I was sure it had to do with my own demons being so close to his. The fact was that he had screamed my name, and I knew that it somehow had to do with me.

“Then,” I sighed, not sure just which then it was. All the times we'd come so close brushed at my conscious memory, and I had to force them back down.

My hand was rubbing up and down his arm, trying to be a comfort. I couldn't reach his back at that point, not without pulling him back to me, and he didn't seem to really need me that close any more. He'd completely stopped shaking, and his voice was starting to sound a bit thick again. 

“I'm sorry. I'm fine. It was just a dream. I'm sorry I woke you,” he muttered as he turned his face away from me. I was sure he was blushing and feeling embarrassed. 

“Sure?” I asked, stalling just a bit.

“Yeah. Sorry,” he answered again.

“Alright. If you change your mind....” my words trailed off. I figured another stab at getting him to talk was worth it, as long as it was left unfinished. I was on my feet and missing the closeness already. It was in me to hate myself for that. That need of my own wanting to be answered when he clearly needed his best friend.

“I know,” he said softly. 

I could feel his eyes on me as I crossed the room, and I glanced back at him when I was near the door. He laid back down then, tugging the covers back up over himself, and settling back in.

“Night,” I said as I went out the door. 'Sweet dreams,' my thoughts added. I wanted to stay with him. And it had been a thought to offer, but I'd basically just walked into the lion's den and back out in one piece as it was. I didn't need to push him too far.

I went back to my room, leaving the door ajar this time. I laid back down, facing the door, my ears listening for him to make a single sound of distress. I don't think I got much sleep after that. I had effectively just put myself on point for the rest of the night. I wouldn't let Heero down, couldn't risk letting him down.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I knew he was tired when I heard the soft little puffs of breath. Duo did not fall asleep on the couch watching TV often, only after a particularly hard day or job. So I turned to watch him. Okay, so I took advantage of the situation and let my eyes feast away while they could. I'd be damned if I let a perfectly good opportunity like that go to waste. And I was already damned enough without giving the fickle Mistress Fate another reason.

He looked so young and sweet that way with no mask in place to hide behind. His expression was soft and carefree, and his body was relaxed and open. I was in awe of that. I don't think I'd ever fallen asleep with another person in the room in such an exposed position. Not that his position was truly exposed and vulnerable. He was on his side, arms in front of him curled, legs too straight to be a fetal position and arms too loose, but still similar. 

The little bit of bend in his legs made me think about how easy it would be to lay behind him in bed with my arm around him. I shook my head at the thought, trying to knock it from it's lofty little haven and send it scurrying back into the secret hiding place it broke out of. 

When he woke to find me looking at him, he blushed a bit, ducking his head, and leaving the room quickly. I didn't know what was so upsetting about dozing off in the same room as me. We'd slept in the same apartment for about three months now. Hell, we'd slept in safe houses long before that. Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of it. Either way his feeling chagrined was not something I could really fix when I didn't truly understand where it had come from, so I continued to read until I heard the bathroom door shut, and the shower turn on.

Duo is one of those people that takes his showers in the mornings. He says that it helps to wake him up and get him going. So, when it was getting close to bedtime, I was a bit curious to say the least.

The soldier and detective sides of my mind kicked in to gear in full force, and without really thinking about it, my book was set aside. I was on my feet and creeping down the hallway to the bathroom door without really thinking about it. 

I was about to sneak on back to my chair when I heard him. They were just groans and moans, but I wasn't really sure exactly what they went with. Had he really slept long enough on the couch to get that stiff? I didn't believe so, but we were not teenagers any more. And Duo did not have the same strict work out regiment that I did, so perhaps his body was not as forgiving of such positions after that long a car ride.

When it got quiet again, I couldn't help myself. I tried. In fact, I stopped myself a couple times before I finally ended up knocking. “Duo?”

“What?” he answered, voice a bit deeper than usual. By the Gods, it sounded good. 

“You alright?”

“Yeah.”

I started to debate on asking if he stiffened up during his nap, but I was afraid of the answer he would come up with. And if he dare told me to come in and see if he was indeed, stiff, I think the offer might have been just too tempting. So I went ahead and walked back down the hall to the living room to go back to reading. I let my footsteps sound out, so he wouldn't bother talking to the door and thinking I was eavesdropping or something.

It wasn't long after that the water shut off. Then a bit later the door opened. I took a calming breath as I expected to have him come in the room and tease me about checking on him. I was surprised when all he did was call in that he was going to bed early. Though I guess I shouldn't have been with him falling asleep the way he had. Not that it was truly all that early, about an hour or so, really. 

When his bedroom door closed, I put the book down on the table and leaned back closing my eyes. The soft sounds I'd heard through the door came back to me, and I couldn't help but wonder, not for the first time, just what Duo would sound like beneath me, riding me, inside me, with me inside him. How he'd look as my lips and fingers teased him, and brought him to the point of saying things I'd only imagined hearing.

'Please......Heero......need you......love you'

Such words as I never would hear from him, but the thought was a wonderful one for me, until reality reared it's ugly head and demanded I admit it was not in the future for me. It wasn't like he was gay after all. 

I had to stop thinking about it. I couldn't risk him finding me like that. I couldn't allow him to know how I felt. I have to admit to a certain amount of fear that he'd throw me out, and I'd lose my best friend.

I should have known better than to go to sleep with those thoughts running around in my head. I think I remembered every glimpse of him I'd had through out the years by the time I fell asleep. And surprising enough, the dream that overtook me was not the erotic one I feared, but worse. I think I could have kept quiet through the throws of an erotic dream, but no, I had to have the memories of that damned war. And not any of the good ones.

Yes, good ones existed. I have happy memories of safe houses with the others. Even injured I was happy with Trowa and Catherine in a way I couldn't have believed possible.

But this dream, surprisingly enough, was a mixed up thing, remembering every damn time Deathscythe got attacked all thrown together. By the time I woke up, Deathscythe was 'dead' in space, and I couldn't get any answer over the comm. I was screaming out even as I woke up, the sheets wrapped around my legs, and I was sweating. I couldn't wrap my arms tight enough around myself.

I heard his door slam open, and then mine hitting the wall as he shoved it the rest of the way open. “Heero?” he panted. I think I'd truly scared the hell out of him. I hadn't had a nightmare in years not like this one. And he'd missed the others when they'd crept up on me after I was so exhausted I slept too deeply to avoid them.

“Sorry,” I forced out, my own voice shaking more than I ever wanted to admit to.

I heard him cross the floor and felt the bed dip beneath his weight as he sat down. I hadn't really thought about what he wore or didn't wear to bed until I felt his arms around me and his bare chest against my own bare side. “You're shaking,” he whispered hugging me tightly.

It was in me to resist the embrace, but I just didn't have the strength. I wanted to know he was alive. I knew I'd hate myself later, but I wrapped my arms around his waist and let the feeling of his presence sooth me. 

“Heero?” he spoke softly and his voice was a little shaky as well. 

I hurried to extract myself, trying to get back, fearing I'd already damaged the friendship, but trying to keep from destroying it.

“Sorry,” I kept saying, but his arms held fast until I settled and the shaking eased.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked as he finally eased his grip to allow me to be able to look at him. Or maybe it was to give me that space I'd struggled for a moment before. But his hands were still on my arms keeping me from retreating too far without taking him with me.

“Just a messed up dream....from back then,” I hedged. I couldn't say I dreamed of Deathscythe being destroyed. I couldn't ask him to listen to that nightmare.

“Then,” he breathed, and I knew he was wondering just how far back then was.

His hand was rubbing up and down my arm. I felt much better just knowing he was alright and that it really had been a dream rather than some terrifying reality that had been covered by the dream of what I'd thought was real. 

“I'm sorry. I'm fine. It was just a dream. I'm sorry I woke you,” I muttered as I turned my face away from him. I knew if he'd been able to see me he'd have seen a deep blush.

“Sure?” he asked.

“Yeah. Sorry,” I said again, part of me wanting to ask him to stay, and the rest of me begging for him to go before the other won and spoke.

“Alright. If you change your mind....” his words drifted off, and I knew it for the last ditch effort that it was to get me to talk. 

“I know,” I answered softly and watched him go, glancing back to me as he neared the door, and I laid back down. 

“Night,” he said as he passed through the door and vanished from my sight.

I took a deep breath trying to relax that last bit to allow myself to go to sleep once more. It wasn't about to happen soon. I just made sure to steady my breathing and stayed still. I was sure Duo would be listening, on point as it were, in case it happened again.

* * *

DUO'S POV

That morning I forced myself to get up and take another shower. There was no way I'd be waking up without some serious help from hot water and caffeine. Hell, I'd been awake other than little cat naps that ended the second he shifted in the other room since about 3 AM. I thought about calling in and saying I'd be late and taking the rest of the morning to sleep, but I didn't want Heero to know I hadn't slept. I didn't want him to feel guilty over needing a friend, and I certainly didn't want him to feel like I lost something in the process.

On the contrary, I'd gained quite a bit from that precious contact. The hot water felt so good on my skin, bringing back memories of the heat of his arms around my waist. The guilt began to filter into my senses once again as I took that bit of pleasure from his pain. 

It didn't take long for me to decide to shorten that shower and get out of there for the caffeine and some breakfast.

“Duo? You look exhausted,” he said quietly, a bit self-depreciating in tone.

“Yeah. I had trouble getting to sleep after that nap on the couch. That's all,” I said as if the nightmare had never happened. As if his being in my arms for that half hour it took to truly calm him had never existed other than in my own dreams.

“I'm sorry about...” he started, and I couldn't let him bring it to reality.

“I'm not,” was all I could say before pouring the cup of coffee and began to drink the hot liquid effectively ending the conversation.

“You're a good friend,” he said before heading out of the room and down the hall. It was then that it sunk in that he wasn't really dressed for work or jogging.

I managed to have breakfast together by the time he was done in the shower, and I took the time we shared eating in silence to really look at him. He hadn't slept well after I left his room either. I had suspected he was only moving when limbs started to go to sleep as it was, but now I was left doubting he'd even gotten the few cat naps that I had.

I drove us to work, and honestly, I don't think I relaxed at all until I saw him into the hands of Chang Wufei in the front lobby.

“Yuy? Are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” he grumbled. 

Wufei looked at me, but I just shrugged. It wasn't my place to bring back either of their demons. I was glad when the elevator hit my floor, and I could get out from under that dark gaze.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I didn't allow myself to get out of bed until I heard Duo hit the shower. I went in and started the coffee knowing he'd be needing that caffeine to get himself going. I felt guilty about keeping him awake, about waking him to begin with. 

The coffee was just finished when Duo came out of the shower. He headed straight for the stuff, and I stood back to watch him.

“Duo? You look exhausted,” I said all the guilt trying to flavor my words for him.

“Yeah. I had trouble getting to sleep after that nap on the couch. That's all,” he answered his voice low as if he'd not woke to my screams at all.

“I'm sorry about...” I started to tell him, but he cut me off.

“I'm not,” he said gently before pouring a cup of coffee and drinking it as if alone. I wanted to understand that expression I could barely see, wanted to be able to look into his eyes and see what the hell was there trying to reach for the surface.

“You're a good friend,” I said before moving back down the hall to get my clothes and hit the shower. I was a little disappointed in missing my jog, and maybe I should have gone. Perhaps in that extra hour, Duo could have gotten some more sleep without worrying about my waking him screaming again.

Duo had breakfast ready and waiting by the time I got done with my shower. I couldn't bring myself to look at him while we ate, feeling guilty for his lack of sleep. I hadn't risked going back to sleep only moving when I had to do so to keep blood from leaving my limbs completely. But there was no way I was going to see those images again or wake Duo screaming in terror and heart ache.

I didn't argue when Duo drove us to work. I didn't really trust my own abilities behind the wheel as tired as I was. And Duo was always an excellent driver. He seemed to relax a bit when Chang approached us in the front lobby.

“Yuy? Are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” I grumbled not about to discuss just what caused my exhaustion.

Wufei looked at Duo, but he only shrugged. I was glad he seemed to know just how desperately I didn't want to discuss it right there.

Duo got off the elevator on the floor below ours, and we rode the rest of the way up and went down the hall to our office in silence, his dark gaze studying me as we went.

“Chang, I am fine,” I said as soon as we were closed in our office.

“You look like hell,” he countered.

“Didn't sleep well,” I offered.

His dark eyes were looking at me as he sat down at his desk. I sat myself down and sighed. “It's nothing, and I'm fine.”

“Yuy, you are a damned complicated man. If I didn't consider you family, I'd not bother attempting to get you to talk to me.”

“I don't recall you being able to accept similar offers,” I countered with a small smile. It was a good feeling to have Chang Wufei call me family since I thought of him as a brother myself.

“How can I when you don't? Hard to measure up when the man you respect most is too strong, or _stubborn_, to accept.”

I could tell he was giving me that bit of reproach in there. That stubborn was meant as his assessment of my not leaning a little when it was obvious I needed to do just that.

“But I prefer to help shoulder my brother's problems than to cause him to shoulder mine,” I said letting him have that bit of reassurance as well. 

I ended up telling him all about the horrid nightmare in gruesome detail before it was over. When I was done, he was shaking his head at me sadly.

“You have it bad, Yuy. Bad.”

“It has nothing to do with my feelings for him,” I snarled.

“It has everything to do with it, and you know it. Your subconscious is telling you to stop screwing around and get the courage to do something about it.”

“I can't lose his friendship,” I snapped.

“I can't see Maxwell as being the type to turn a friend away. It's not as if we've seen or heard of him seeing a single person since he came back to Earth. And prior to that the only person we truly know of him having any closeness to was Hilde. Didn't he explain she was like a sister to him?”

“He did.”

“Do I have to tell you what I think, yet again?”

“No. You've said it over and over, and I still don't think it's the right thing to do.”

“I never thought you to be a coward in any respect, Yuy. But you are proving me wrong,” he grumbled that bit of affection in his voice that let me know he was attempting to encourage me without it being too obvious.


	4. Chapter 4

DUO'S POV

I could have hugged Quatre. That dear, sweet boy humored me and my crazy idea. I had become excited over the thought of Halloween. It's not something that really existed on L2, and we'd given up most of those years anyway. Or all but Quatre and Wufei, at least. And I'm not sure that Wufei would have been paraded around in costume then. I have a hard time seeing him letting go that much even as a boy.

Quatre even went so far as to have found an orphanage in the area that would let us take the kids around trick or treating. See why I could have hugged the man? Not only had he humored my exuberance, but he found a way to give me what I wanted without having it be just self-indulgent.

I was disappointed when he had to go on business, but I still got to borrow Trowa for the night. So it wasn't a total loss, even if I did lose Quatre's exuberance. Trowa even dug out his clown outfit for the event. It was hard to have a serious conversation at times, but the kids' fun was more important for the evening.

I think I could have probably even convinced Chang and Heero to have joined us for the evening had they not been called away for a case for the week.

“How are you holding up oh 'kept-one'?”

“It's only been one night, and he's back tomorrow. I'll survive,” he chuckled. “You?”

“Me?” What was I supposed to be surviving that was any different? I wasn't dealing with crazed servants enjoying watching their employer's lover squirm at the attention.

“Well, Yuy is out of town this week, isn't he?”

“Of course, but I don't have much change there. It's not like my bed becomes empty and servants go wild,” I laughed.

“But your apartment is empty, and the man you love is still away.”

I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets and watched my feet, “It's far from the same thing.”

I heard him sigh before he put his hand on my shoulder effectively pulling me up before we made it into the yard at the orphanage. He waited for me to look up into the eye that was easily seen. “Duo, those feelings are far from different. The only difference is when Quat' is home, I don't have to still long for him.”

“Let's not ruin my night, Tro',” I said softly, knowing a bit of the pain of the truth brought on by that statement was audible.

“You could come be a 'kept man' with me,” he said letting my shoulder go.

“I don't think so. I still need Quat' to run interference for me too,” I chuckled. And I did. He had a girl there that despite the pointless flirting we did, I think might have been just a bit too friendly without Quatre there to shoo her away. 

“I wouldn't make you sleep alone. We could protect each other at night,” he teased. I was sure he thought of the same girl I did in that moment. Cute enough girl, but absolutely not my type.

“More to divide their attention? Trying to find some salvation in a demon?”

“In my only remaining comrade. Come on, give me a night,” he said, and I knew the offer for what it was. I knew he meant it. Meant for me to not have to spend another night alone longing for something I knew was not to be mine.

It was that moment the kids came dashing out to meet us, and we were overtaken. It saved me from having to make that decision. And I was a bit sad about the fact that it was so tempting. There was a comforting feeling of waking even with a friend that close. A reminder of sorts that someone does care despite it not being a lover. 

I don't think a smile left either of our faces the entire time the kids were with us. They didn't have costumes. They couldn't be afforded, but the kids all had bags and bright smiles. I think some houses had people cringing at the mass of children heading for them all at once. Granted 10 kids really isn't all that much, but they were mostly little ones. That is enough to give most at least a nervous twitch at the thought of keeping track of all those little hands.

A little 3 year old girl took a great deal of liking to Trowa. She was just enamored with him. Not that he could resist the little blond. She left me wondering if Quatre would have looked like that when he was little. Bright blue eyes that shimmered with affection and joy capped with soft blond hair that framed a cute little face. I was sure if I found the right sister, I could find out.

Two of the boys seemed to be warring over who got to show me their favored prize while another just charged past them and showed me the can of pop that the house had handed out. We'd reached the better part of town, I was sure with that kind of treat. I decided Trowa was seeing the similarities to Quat' in that little girl when he knelt down and opened the can for her. There was a finger that tapped at a cute little button nose before he stood back up.

“I thought they were supposed to go for the bad boy, not the jester,” I teased adjusting my leather coat.

“What can I say? I attract blonds,” he teased in return.

“Should I be warning Quat' he's got competition in about 15 years?” I chuckled as the little girl darted off with the others for the next house.

“He has no worries there. Or have you forgotten how that works?” he winked.

“Haven't forgotten. Just haven't been able to achieve it myself,” I said with a little self-depreciating smile.

“You will. Just have to get a certain stubborn man to open his damned eyes,” he assured me.

“Language Trowa. There are small ones,” and sure enough soon as I said it the little girl came bounding back to him.

By the end of the evening, I was leading a 5 year old by the hand, and Trowa had a little blond bundle in his arms nuzzled to his chest sleeping from exhaustion.

“Sorry to have worn out your kids,” I teased as the woman met us at the door.

“Are you kidding me? That's a blessing in itself!” she laughed and shooed the little boy inside. She took the girl from Trowa as he kissed the top of her head.

“C'own,” she muttered not really waking.

It was in me to tease Trowa about his new friend again, but not there, not now. That soft smile he had told me, that like me, in a way we adored kids. Not that either of us had lives that were the best for having them. Hell, neither of us could, but that was neither here nor there. We weren't what those kids needed. They needed normal, and ex-Gundam pilots are far from normal, no matter how hard we try to get back to that very state.

I couldn't believe when I actually agreed to stay at Trowa and Quatre's. But like Trowa said, with two of us there, it did divide the staff's attention. So I followed him home, a part of me feeling like the stray puppy found and drug in. He even made me take the room almost across from theirs. Usually I just crash in the door closest to me, first door on the left, 5 steps across the room to the bed, and then nothingness. But not tonight. It was the third down on the left. And it was 7 steps to the bed. 

Like I said, you never really get back to normal. You walk into a room, and you search it for intruders, memorize where everything is, and then try to let down enough of your guard to relax just enough to sleep. 

It wasn't long before I heard one of the staff in the hall. I edged to the door and cracked it enough to hear what was being said. Not because I'm nosey, but because it's well....okay, I'm nosey at times. But this was my Trowa, and he wanted someone to help lower their overattentive nature toward him.

And yes, I think of them all as mine. My family. And damn it, as much as I know it's not normal, I cherish it. Don't bust my damned bubble and leave my fluffy cloud alone.

“Master Trowa? Can we get you anything before you go to bed?”

“No, I'm fine, and don't disturb our guest either,” he said, and I knew it for the intervention that it was. He was trying to do that thing that Quatre does to steer them clear of us, all in the tone, but Trowa and I just don't seem to have it. Heero and Wufei do. But Trowa and I just can't seem to pull it off.

“Of course Master Trowa. Please sleep well,” she said and then the door to Trowa's room was closed.

I couldn't resist. I opened the door and motioned the girl in as she was about to pass by.

“Is there something I can get for you?”

“An answer would be fine,” I said with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow, and I hoped that was her idea of inviting the question. “Why do you all go so crazy over Trowa when Quat's gone?”

“Master Quatre won't let us near him when he's here. We don't want him to think we don't want him here. Master Quatre adores him so.”

“So you go overboard while Quat's gone to show he's welcome here?”

“Yes,” she said with a blush.

I laughed out right. I couldn't help it. “He's running interception for us because we are not the type to be waited on. We aren't comfortable with all the attention. It drives Trowa crazy to be treated as if everything must be done for him.”

She blushed even more. “Oh no,” she gasped as the realization settled into her eyes.

I couldn't help it, I had to sit down on the bed to keep from falling in the floor with laughter. I heard Trowa's door and saw the girl cringe. But I was laughing too hard to breath let alone to assure her he wouldn't be angry with her answering my summons. 

“Duo? Stacy?”

“Master Trowa, we're so sorry,” she gasped and ducked her head.

“Oh boy, Tro' did ya ever consider talking to these people? Or just hiding?” I finally got out between breaths.

“What are you talking about?”

“Tell him,” I said laughing. I'd not really thought of it myself until I heard the way she so sweetly spoke to him. I'd not heard them call him Master Trowa when Quatre was around.

“Please,” she breathed timidly.

“It's just too good Tro'. Quat' won't let them fuss over you when he's here so they make up for it when he's gone. So you know they want you to stay. Like Quat' would even entertain the idea of you going anywhere.”

“Like I'd entertain the idea,” he huffed, but a smirk quirked his lips. In that moment, I knew he'd seen the amusement I had in the situation. “Stacy, I assure you, as long as Quatre will have me, I'm not going anywhere. But my life is easier without all the fuss.”

“I'll....I'll tell the others,” she stammered and dashed from the room. I felt a little bad for her. I mean she now had to go to the others and try to convince them to leave poor Tro' alone after what I later thought probably looked like we were laughing at her. But damn was the sentiment well worth it.

“They must really like you. To risk defying their beloved Quatre to try to pamper you,” I said with a smirk.

“Just go to sleep. Or I'll tell them, pampering you would greatly please Quat' and I both,” he quipped and headed for the door.

It was midnight when the phone rang, and I dared to head to the hall. I heard Trowa's voice as he opened the door.

“Yes, yes, he's here,” he said giving me this grin that said it was me being searched for. I was confused. “No, there's nothing wrong. I just wanted someone to help divert the staff's attention.”

I cocked my head to the side as he stopped and leaned on the wall next to me. “I promise Heero. He's fine. But let him tell you.”

Heero?!

'Tro'?' I mouthed, and he just shoved the phone my way.

“Think it's about bedtime,” he said with a wink. And I have to admit to standing there staring at his retreating form until I barely heard Heero's voice calling my name from the receiver in my hand.

“Heero?”

“Is everything alright? I thought he stayed at the apartment when Quatre was out of town.”

I chuckled. “It works both ways; it's just rare I stay here. What's wrong?”

“Wrong? I was calling to inform you we would be out of town longer than believed. There are a couple complications that are taking a bit longer to deal with than we anticipated,” he answered growling the last few words.

“Ah, well Quat' will be back tomorrow, so I'll be back home then. You and Chang holding up okay out there?”

I heard the sigh, and figured I was talking too much.

“We're fine. But we will both be glad to get back home. We stayed in school dorms nicer than this place,” he said, and I could hear the hint of his attempt at humor.

“The beds that small?”

“Bed.”

“Only one for the two of you?” I asked to make sure I heard him right.

“Yes,” he sighed. I was sure they were taking turns. It wasn't like them to go on a case and not rotate the watches. “And I think the floor is softer,” he chuckled.

It felt good. Felt good to hear his voice.

“Duo,” he started and then stopped. I heard him shifting and could imagine the look on his face as he searched for words. I waited for him. “I wanted to thank you for the other night.”

“Not suffering from them now are you?” I asked. His voice had seemed a bit frantic when I started talking with him. I don't know why it hadn't come to me sooner.

“No. I can't....”

“Can't explain over an open line,” I offered for him.

“Right.”

“I understand. You can always fill me in when you get home,” I said as if coming home was never in question. But it is on every case they go out on. It seems to be the ex-Gundam pilot curse. If there is any serious risk to be taken, send us.

I mean what do we have to come home for? There are 5 of us, and none with real families except for Quatre, who didn't sign up anyway. And of course at Quatre's request, Trowa saw no reason to either. Besides, when your lover gifts you a business of your own, who needs a Preventers job? Hell, when your lover is Quatre Winner, who needs a Preventers job? It's not like money is in question.

So I guess there were really only 3 of us they could do anything with, but still, I was not the field agent. I dodged the really dangerous position for a smaller one. One that wouldn't have them sending me all over the place just to have me as a moving target.

We didn't really say much more before hanging up. Though I did thank him for being considerate enough to call and let me know that there was a delay. I'd have been spending the day after they were due back hacking into the upstairs computer at work if he hadn't.

I took the phone back to Trowa's room with my head hung. I wasn't really sure what to say.

He didn't say anything as he took the receiver from my hand and then lifted up the covers. It was in me to question it, but I found myself climbing in instead.

“I think it is my turn to listen and make the dark side of that call sting less,” he finally said turning over long enough to put the phone back on it's base. Then we were laying there, and I was staring up at the ceiling.

“Complications are going to delay them. That's all,” I said not really sure I wanted to talk about it.

“What could he actually tell you?” Trowa asked. I knew that trick. As long as I had him relaying the details from Quatre, that smile stayed there, and it was like prolonging the conversation they had. Drawing the memory into the forefront and forcing it to stay there.

“One bed for the both of them. And apparently, the floor is more comfortable,” I sighed.

“You aren't working with me here,” he said laying back on his back as well on Quatre's side of the bed I realized.

“Well, he didn't really tell me more. I think he breathed more than he talked,” I quipped.

“He reminded me of Quatre that first night I stayed with you,” he chuckled.

“I doubt that. I didn't have to insist that he not come home. Hell, it wasn't even offered,” I countered.

“No, it was clear that if you weren't here, my ass was going to be ordered to go out and find you,” he informed me with a smile I didn't even have to look to see. “Business deals can apparently wait if the Winner Enterprises CEO declares it. He just doesn't take advantage of that ability often. He's afraid it will vanish if he does.”

I had to resist a sigh, though the thought was warming that he'd have been going out to find me if I hadn't been right there. Even if he did claim it was just at Heero's order to hide his own concern.

“I think you underestimate him,” Trowa said never looking my way. “You weren't here for the wedding.”

“You know why,” I sighed. 

It wasn't like I didn't send my well wishes for him, with Hilde. I had insisted that I had to stay behind and run the business. I had agreed that if I changed my mind in time, I'd hop a shuttle, but insisted she not expect it. I missed my friends. Really I did, but I just couldn't watch the wedding when it was Heero. If it had been Trowa and Quatre, or Wufei with Sally, I'd have been there, invitation or no. But I couldn't sit there and get my heart ripped out in a wedding that size. Hell if it had just been the guys, I don't think I could have handled it.

“I do. But I think he would have called it off somehow had you asked.” 

Like I could have really done that.

“Did you spend too long around those servants today? I think the 'kept' status is damaging your thinking,” I grumbled.

“Duo,” he growled, and I knew I was going to have to indulge him for the time being. He doesn't get all reminiscent often, and when he does, he usually has a good reason.

“Okay, impart your wisdom oh great kept one,” I teased.

“You are actually going to listen to me this time? Not going to tell me you want to forget the day ever existed?”

“If you get started before I change my mind,” I grumbled.

“Chang had the worst time keeping track of him. Best man's job he claimed. Heero was looking all over that cathedral. Kept asking if you'd made it. Chang said he was insisting that you'd show, you wouldn't let him go through with it without you. Wufei felt like he was your stand in. Though the disappointment in his face at the reception left more of a feeling with me that she was the stand in. I don't remember exactly when he drug Chang off during the reception. Or for how long. My attention was split between them and Quatre,” he paused and sighed a bit. 

That was near the beginning of their relationship, and I do remember some calls from Trowa torn between wanting to be able to give society the proverbial middle finger by being able to give small displays of their relationship and having to appear as a body guard. Not that anyone was going to get near Quatre without him acting anyway.

“When Chang came back into the reception hall, he said that Yuy had been absolutely certain you would have been there. At least at the reception. It was the only time we heard him so openly eager for anyone.”

I heard his head turn, and I turned mine to look at him as best I could in the moonlight. “Maybe if I'd gotten an invitation instead of just hearing about it on the news,” I grumbled.

“That's just it. Chang said your name was the first on the invitation list. He saw Heero mail the thing himself.”

He hadn't really said that before. I had never asked. Never brought up that I hadn't received it. I think it was one of the reasons I refused to listen to discussions about it before. The sting of my best friend not wanting me present at what was supposed to be the most important day of his life.

We were both quiet for a little while before Trowa spoke again. I'd almost believed that he was going to go to sleep.

“He withdrew from all of us for a while after that. Wufei said that he didn't really seem to let it go until after they'd returned from a mission they'd been captured during. Someone hacked into his system, and when he found it upon getting back, attacked that challenge like a man possessed. He knew Heero had found his hacker when he gave a smile we'd not seen in months.”

“He found his hacker?” I asked, trying to keep my voice passive.

“Chang decided to search out the results of their hacker after that himself since Heero wasn't sharing. When he told us where the trail led, we all knew. How many people really had that kind of equipment on L2? And had the ability to get into Yuy or Chang's systems?”

“Don't know. You'd think the culprit would have covered their tracks better,” I said thinking I'd done a damned good job covering my tracks.

“Especially considering you knew just how good they both were at putting together the tracks they could find.”

He turned over then, leaving his back to me, and did go to sleep. I wanted to believe that he was right. That Heero had been so upset because he carried about me, but that just seemed like too much to hope for. Though, I was now going to believe that the L2 mail system lost my invitation, I couldn't allow myself to fall prey to the little voice in my head that said it was real. It was just Heero wanting his best friend at his wedding, not me to tell him I loved him and didn't want him to go through with it. 

* * *

HEERO'S POV

Halloween night. You'd think all the kids walking around in costumes going house to house would have been a nuisance, but it was giving us a bit of cover as well. Parents were walking around watching their kids go door to door. I couldn't begin to imagine how that could be safe, but these weren't people used to having to run for their lives.

Chang and I had been stuck here for a week and the dealer we were after was being elusive. We had a witness at Headquarters that was not about to leave without the man in question behind bars. After reading what all he'd been accused of, I couldn't blame the woman. Murder, drug possession, drug dealing, drug smuggling, and past affiliations with places like Romefeller.

Chang clapped me on the shoulder when my mind drifted off watching the kids remembering just how excited Duo had been the past couple of weeks thinking about tonight. What were adults to do about this night? I thought it was insane and would have been humiliating walking around in costume. Though I'd have followed him had he asked. But he didn't, and then this case came up. So it became no longer an issue.

“Yuy,” he grumbled, and I looked his way. He nodded his head in the direction he meant for us to go, and I followed willingly.

All we found along the way were more questions, and one man to 'question' in our own way since HQ wasn't near by. I think we may have gone too far when he passed out. But I'm not sure. It wasn't up to what we went through in the war, but we were trained to withstand Hell.

By eleven thirty I was certain we were going to be detained trying to answer all the questions we were coming up with in lieu of answers. Before moving in with Duo, I never would have considered calling to inform anyone. However, after the other night, I couldn't convince myself he didn't care. I think I pulled my phone out three times thinking about it before Chang spoke.

“Just call him, or I'll be changing passwords again when we return,” he chuckled.

When I tried the apartment, I got the machine. After sounding like an idiot talking to an empty location, I sat and stared at the phone.

“Perhaps Barton knows where he is. Weren't they going out tonight?”

He was right. I should have thought of that instantly, but I was too busy considering his regular habits. My fingers were dialing Barton's number before I realized it.

“Barton,” came the deep voice.

“Have you seen Maxwell? Is he there?”

“Yes, yes, he's here,” he said. 

“What's wrong? Did something happen?”

“No, there's nothing wrong. I just wanted someone to help divert the staff's attention.”

“Are you certain?” Of course he was. Trowa Barton would not lie about something like that.

“I promise, Heero. He's fine. But let him tell you.”

“Think it's about bedtime,” he said, voice a distant sound.

I waited a moment before trying, “Duo?”

“Heero?” he answered a moment later. A little of the frustrated fear slipped away, just hearing his voice.

“Is everything alright? I thought he stayed at the apartment when Quatre was out of town.”

He chuckled. “It works both ways; it's just rare I stay here. What's wrong?”

“Wrong?” I had to think for a minute. I had been so concerned about him, I'd almost forgotten the reason I was calling him in the first place. “I was calling to inform you we would be out of town longer than believed. There are a couple complications that are taking a bit longer to deal with than we anticipated,” I answered growling the last few words.

“Ah, well Quat' will be back tomorrow, so I'll be back home then. You and Chang holding up okay out there?”

I sighed and took a calming breath.

“We're fine. But we will both be glad to get back home. We stayed in school dorms nicer than this place,” I said.

“The beds that small?”

“Bed.”

“Only one for the two of you?” he asked.

“Yes,” I sighed. “And I think the floor is softer,” I added with a chuckle.

The sound of his voice was calming.

“Duo,” I started and then stopped. I struggled with the words moving into the kitchenette. He seemed to be waiting for me to work it out. “I wanted to thank you for the other night,” is what I said even though I longed to say so many other things instead.

“Not suffering from them now are you?” he asked. 

“No. I can't....”

“Can't explain over an open line,” he finished for me.

“Right,” I agreed. Not that I really think there was anything against my blurting out my feelings, except that I just couldn't do that. I wouldn't risk losing my best friend just to admit I was in love with him.

“I understand. You can always fill me in when you get home,” he said as if he had no doubt about my coming home in perfect condition.

I can't begin to put the way that made me feel into words. I'm not sure there are adjectives strong enough.

He thanked me for taking the time to call and inform him about the delay before we hung up.

“Is my system safe now?” Chang asked as I came back into the room that smug smirk of his proudly displayed.

“Yes,” I grumbled.

“You should just admit it,” he countered.

“Damn it, Chang. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Well, you haven't convinced yourself yet, so perhaps you should wait until you have,” he said, and I'll be damned if he wasn't right.

I found it hard to understand how I could be so obvious to him, and so in control of those same things where Duo was concerned. If it were as obvious as Chang thought, then it would only stand to reason that Duo should be able to see it as well. And as far as I could tell, he hadn't put it together yet.

“Stop thinking so harshly and just look at it from his side.”

I looked at him with confusion written all over my face, I was sure of it.

“You spend a war watching a guy run after the honey-blond princess. You then go back to your colony to help a friend start a business to get an invite sent to you for same guy's wedding to that same princess. He's leaving the woman, but he's still not saying why really. And then, even though he moved in with you, he's mostly antisocial and withdrawn. You can't read his mind, and he was always observant, so seeing him look when you move you are sure really is only a trained habit.”

“Alright Chang... I get the point.”

“You need to be more forward.”

“I need to go to bed if you intend to sleep before we go out again tomorrow,” I growled and went to bed. Chang muttered something about the injustice of my stubbornness, I'm sure that's what it was about.


	5. Chapter 5

DUO'S POV

I should have known better than to think that my moment of weakness by agreeing to stay with Trowa wouldn't result in something more. I had gone back home after work the next day, and slept fairly well, though I'm loath to admit that it was in Heero's room, in his bed. 

It would have been no problem getting through until Heero got back home. It was just my being accustomed to his presence mostly that was eating at me. I was concerned about his nightmares coming back as they had the other night, though I knew he'd never sleep so deeply as to allow them to catch him like that on the job. I was a bit conflicted with the pleasure that he was that comfortable with me and feeling guilty for having to have a nightmare make that clear to me.

You'd have thought that I'd not been living alone just a few months prior the way my morning was interrupted. Quatre walked in just before I was supposed to go to lunch. I knew he was up to something, but allowed him to talk me into going to lunch with him. We stopped at the shelter for Trowa to go with us. I got a look that begged for me to forgive him, and I knew I wasn't going to be thrilled about the conversation when we got there.

I was right.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the thought. The sentiment was heart warming. The implications were insulting and depressing.

“You can stay with us. You didn't have to go home just because I was back,” Quatre was saying. I guess the statement of my being fine was not heard, and the reality of my being self-sufficient was not reaching his brain.

“I assure you it had nothing to do with my feeling that I had to go because you were home,” I assured him again. 

“Then why..” Quatre started, voice soft and a little pained.

“Because it was time to go home, Quat',” I started. “It's not been that long since I lived alone, and as soon as he finds his own place, I'm sure he'll leave,” I sighed dreading that inevitability.

“Despite what you really want,” Quatre said. It's amazing how easy it is for him to be blunt with me. I think it's a sign of just how close we really are.

How I won, I'll never know, but I was not looking at a sad little puppy pleading for me to stay by the time we were done with lunch. He was certain I'd be fine, and that it was just a moment of weakness and self-doubt that led me to their place that night. I was obviously sleeping just fine at home, not that they needed to know of my self-indulgence of Heero's scent on his pillow.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I watched the girl Chang had pointed out across the room. She had been in the files. She was the wife of the leader, married to the very man we wanted most. She had been the one to kill two of our agents in past attempts at taking her husband down. The second agent being the last one that came for him. Apparently, his need for revenge was too strong, and he drew on her to avenge his ex-war buddy that she killed on the first attempt to take down this target.

We wanted to be able to keep an eye on her. She seemed to be the one that would be our biggest opponent or ally.

Her brown eyes were sharp and took in everything in the room. We were not the only ones doing the watching. She had noticed us. A man at her side was sent away, and she made her way across the room in a casual fashion. 

We made eye contact, and she gave 'the look'. That beaconing look that says to follow. Chang and I followed at a distance as she went into the room that the man had been sent ahead into. This did not look like a place we wanted to go, but she'd not drawn on the other agents first. She had been able to prove self-defense in both cases. In fact, Agent Simms death was confirmed as self-defense by his partner. That was one hell of a report to read.

It's not every day you walk into a room with the 'Queen of the Mob'. It was also not exactly the easiest thing to walk in there with guns holstered. I stepped in while Chang stayed outside the door to listen for trouble.

My eyes had started their own search the second I was opening the door, and once inside determined the other half of the room was just as clear. She and the man she'd sent ahead of her were the only other occupants of the room.

I moved a bit more from the door's nearly closed position to let Chang enter. He closed the door behind him, and it was obvious he was observing the room's contents as I had. And as I was sure she had.

She told us that she had married due to an arrangement. One similar to the one Chang had been forced into with Meiran. She warned against the wiseness of such things, though I'm sure Chang understood far better than she thought. She was offering us a way inside the compound that was Isaac Stark's home. Her home.

She explained that she truly loved another man, one that was of her mother's tribe. This man was a part of her clan, and she knew of only one way to get free of this arrangement, dishonor to Mister Stark. She was furious over what she saw as his cowardly use of her as a human shield.

She was so calm when she reminded of the prior attempts on her life. It was so passive when she stated that they had drawn on her. Then she gave us the details of how she planned to get us into the compound. Security guards. She would be hiring her own extra security since it was known that there would be Preventer Agents sniffing around. 

She opened a drawer and tossed a folder on the edge near us. “This contains more details which you are possibly already aware of, but just in case. This is yours no matter your decision.”

With that said, she moved for the door, her companion on her heels. He opened the door and stepped out right behind her. I saw him step up beside her and taking her arm before the door closed.

“I think we both just saw memories neither of us would like to have at the moment,” Chang said into the silence as he reached for the folder she left on the desk.

“Oh?”

“At least Meiran and I were not in love with others. And quite frankly, I can't begin to see how many ways that could have hit you. Married to someone she doesn't love. Though she does have the love of her guard. Not that I believe Maxwell needs guarding.”

“Now is not the time,” I growled.

“Correct,” he said and then paused as he studied the files. “She just gave us...,” his voice vanished and he looked at me as if he'd been the finder of the holy grail and granted eternal life by whatever it contained.

I took the folder and began to read it myself. The top page was information on Isaac Starck. His picture couldn't be mistaken. Fiery red hair that was kept in a loose tail hanging between his shoulder blades. We had an interesting list of his self-defense trainings. We also had pages on his guards. The first one had a note attached to it.

“So, Isaac has a man to keep him satisfied. Only resorts to her when his own lover won't humor him,” I muttered. It was in me to wonder if Relena had had someone to touch her during the marriage, though I doubted it. I'd have noticed a regular guest. And the closest thing we had to a regular guest was Quatre. 

I believe Chang was blushing a little on that, but he turned his back to me quickly and began to search the room a bit more. He seemed very interested in the books on the shelves suddenly.

“Do you really think we can trust her?”

“I believe she thinks she can trust us,” I said.

“But we are not the ones that killed agents trying to do their jobs,” he growled.

“She does have the law and one of our own saying it was self-defense. I don't believe she is trying to mislead us in that manner. Her companion makes me more uncomfortable than she does.”

“And why is that Yuy?”

“A man guarding his mate is a dangerous man,” I said flatly. I couldn't allow myself to remember the way I'd sliced into things during the war when they went for Deathscythe. Or the feelings that filled me as I shot those soldiers aiming for him. I knew just how dangerous a man protecting his love could be.

“We do tend to get carried away in those instances, don't we?” he agreed.

“Are you willing to accept?” I asked. I already knew my answer. I was willing to take the risk and get inside far faster than if we dared go it alone. And if we played our cards right, we might even be able to convince her to help us convict all of his men that we hadn't been able to yet.

“We don't have much choice if we want to do this without a firefight in and out.”

He was right. We didn't. I noticed as I flipped to another page the guard schedules were there, but it was not going to be an easy invasion. We were damned good, but to get us both in was going to result in a trail of bodies. Stark would have a chance to be warned before the other drug/mob lords and their entourages left.

Once we'd gleaned all that we could from the pages she'd left us, which really wasn't all that much, enough to show an offer for assistance only, we headed back out into the main room where the other attendees were. We couldn't get near her again at that point. She was standing there, Isaac by her side talking.

When she turned and walked away, she left her husband looking after her. It didn't take long for her to get to a corner where the bar was and order herself a drink. We made our way around and when I caught her eyes, nodded our agreement.

She leaned over and whispered to her companion for a moment, and a smile crossed both faces. His reflection showed his watching us clearly for any sign of an ulterior motive. I wasn't about to argue it with him. I had my own doubts, and really, wasn't getting her to agree to testify for us an ulterior motive as well?

* * *

We arrived back at the compound, as there truly was no better description, late that night. As promised, she led us about through all the areas, including the servant areas. She pointed out several locations with easy exits and barely traveled paths. We were shown her rooms in the end. 

When we entered her domain, as she called it, her companion left our side and took to searching rooms.

She continue to explain her situation as we waited for her companion to finish his search. She was blunt about the lack of love once more, and that the two sides had been one a few generations back. She was supposed to be the tool to bring them back together.

She lead us from a side room that contained a small bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet. Then showed us to the rest of the sitting area. This seemed a bit more familial than the formal side we'd been in already. There was a guest chamber to one side, and then her chambers. Her master bath was far more elegant than the one that had been out front where guests would see. It had a large hot tub with visible jets along with a shower as well. 

Amaia led the way back to the familial sitting area and motioned, “Sit.” She waited and when we sat down, she continued, “I will send for Koji tomorrow morning. He will gladly help us. He will be able to do away with Isaac's remaining guard. Now, are you wanting Isaac dead or alive?”

“Alive would be preferable,” I answered.

“Alright, well, he tends to be very into immediate gratification, but surely I can coax him into a little trip to the garage,” she said, and it was clear that she was thinking.

Her companion sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “We will get through this,” he whispered into her dark hair.

I wondered how he could be so sure of this. I certainly wasn't holding my breath on having a free run from here. I was expecting one hell of a firefight to get out of this lion's den.

* * *

Koji was a very interesting man. He showed up late the next morning with a bright smile and a kiss on the cheek for our 'hostess'. She gave a bright smile briefly before drawing him into her sitting area. We were introduced, and Amaia spent a great deal of time detailing what was expected for the night. All he had to do was not tip Isaac's lover and guard, Dev, off before he left, and then bait the other guard into his clutches once they got to her room after the card game.

And he did his job well, I believe. Isaac came looking for her as she expected. Hota was out on the balcony as Isaac entered the room.

“Amaia, come here,” he said, and his words were a bit of a slur. I was beginning to question her idea of drunk until he stumbled right into Koji's arms.

“Easy, sir. You've had too much to drink,” Koji soothed. Isaac shoved himself up off Koji. Koji only smirked as the man about toppled himself on over the other side.

Amaia came closer and started to lead him along toward the door. “Come along Isaac. I've been thinking about this.”

“'Ere we going?”

“You'll see,” she whispered and drew him along with her.

I was surprised when she actually coaxed him all the way to the cars before he really protested the trip. She'd granted kisses along the way to shut him up and gain her a few more yards of hall. She still got him into the back seat of one. I'm not exactly sure how she did it as I was far too busy looking around the garage. Koji dispatched with the other guard while Isaac was distracted, and we all filed into the car as he passed out. 

I think we were out to the main gate before anyone was starting to even suspect anything. 

There was something said in what I am going to guess was Lakota before the gate opened. 

Fortunately, we only had another hour to go before meeting up with our extraction ride. HQ was supposed to be sending us a ride for that night.

I couldn't believe who they sent.

* * *

DUO'S POV

I got my orders first thing that morning. I wasn't surprised when it wasn't more intelligence hacking. I read it over and determined that I wanted back up for the retrieval. It wasn't hard to figure out who I wanted. It was an obvious choice; you didn't go after Heero Yuy and Chang Wufei without one hell of a set of backup. Hell the fact that I was being sent gave me a bit of an ego boost to go with a set of nerves.

“Chen, you free for a couple days?”

“Do you have a job for me Agent Maxwell?” she asked looking up at him from her paperwork.

“I need an extra gunner for a retrieval.”

“I'm all yours Maxwell. When do we leave?”

I gave her the time line and that was it. She was one of the newer recruits, but she was one hell of a sharp shooter. That was a girl you wanted on your side and covering your ass. 

We got in the Grand Cherokee that was supposed to be big enough, and we were getting ready to leave when she asked the million dollar question.

“Who are we extracting?”

“We are retrieving Agents Yuy and Chang,” I said about to shift it into gear when her hand reached out and stopped me.

“This is a simple pick up and not an extraction?” she asked cautiously.

“Correct,” I said.

“Thank the Gods. If we were extracting those two, I didn't bring enough ammo,” she said with a relieved sigh and released my hand.

Like I said, the girl to have with you. She'd taken a liking to Chang instantly. I think it was the classic Chinese upbringing. She respected him, and Heero, immensely. In fact, she'd turned to them for new points of view and advice. She could probably shoot just as accurately as we did. I'd like to test that theory, but I haven't figured out how to talk Heero into helping me, let alone asking her without making it sound like a challenge. Though that would probably appeal to her.

We were even waiting at the pick up point a half hour early. I wasn't surprised when Chang pulled up a few minutes early, but when that many people filed out and two guys were hauling another around I was worried. Miss Chen had her rifle trained on them, and I wasn't going to question that choice until I knew what was going on.

“Hey 'Ro, what's with the extras?”

“Who's your shooter?” he asked instead.

“Agent Chen. You don't usually need this kind of pick up,” I answered.

He waved a hand signal, and I heard the rifle being taken back in the window. She was hopped up on the window edge with a warm 'hello' for them, a handgun in her grip.

“Let's get moving. They should have found that guard by now,” the first man said before unceremonally dropping his load to the ground as it grumbled.

The other dropped the legs, and the grumbling load seemed to find the strength to lever himself up enough to unload the continents of his stomach onto the side of the road.

“So, who's with us and not? I get a score card in this?” I asked and heard Agent Chen's agreement with the statement.

“I am Amaia. This is Hota, and Koji, my guards. And that drunken asshole is my husband Isaac.”

“Isaac Stark, our target,” Heero clarified for us.

“Hopefully, not your husband much longer,” the one she said was Hota said. I wanted to remember that since he was the one that dropped the man's head to the ground as if he should have been dead instead of drunk.

“It's hard to hold out hope that Kangi has waited for me,” she said.

“Kangi?” I asked.

“Hota isn't your intended?” Chang asked.

“No,” she laughed brightly. “He is Kangi's cousin.”

“Kangi cannot be by her side, so I am here to protect her in his place,” Hota chuckled. He shoved Isaac on over with his foot . “Aren't you done yet, you drunk?”

There was a groan, grumble, and then a snore.

“I'd take that as a yes,” Koji said and lifted up the legs again. “Let's get out of here.”

We all crammed ourselves into that jeep, and I found myself with Heero beside me. We couldn't have separated if we'd wanted to, and personally, I didn't want to. His leg pressed so tightly against mine, our shoulders together, and our arms would have been had I not needed both hands to drive, would have been a lovely thought. That is, had we not been getting the hell away from a mafia/drug ring leader's associates. 

Okay, had it been just Heero and I, I think it still would have been nice in a way. But, I was grateful for Agent Chen's shooting skills to go with Chang's and Heero's. By the time we were out of there, the back window of the jeep was gone. Agent Chen had developed a nice graze mark across her cheek from a shot that was bleeding just enough to piss her off. Wufei was bleeding from the glass in the back window's blow out and a shot that grazed his arm. And Heero had been shooting across the middle of the back of the seats. 

Turns out, Hota had been the son of a medicine man. He spent the time after the fall out bandaging up Wufei's arm and trying to check for the glass, but Wufei wasn't willing to allow for all the attention. Agent Chen had most of the bleeding stopped on her own before Amaia was reaching forward to investigate that damage. Though it was obvious that it was going to leave a fine scar. Lucky for us, Chen wasn't the 'pretty girl' type that worried about such things. 

It was nice to get us back to HQ a few hours later. And on time might I add. I was damned proud of that. They dragged Isaac off to lock up, and Amaia, along with her two bodyguards, were left with me. What was I supposed to do with them? They didn't want to be put into protection, so I couldn't take them there. And they didn't have anywhere else to go, but back to their own clan.

I stood there and puzzled over the whole clan versus tribe label. I mean, Amaia was a Japanese name, but her guards were Lakota, along with the name of her lover. I finally had to ask only to find out her father had been Japanese. Her mother's tribe had followed her into the clan when they married. Or at least part of the tribe had. This Kangi was the highest remaining member of the tribe that was full blooded.

It was rather interesting to hear how they mixed the two cultures enough to get along. But that time was over once Heero and Wufei returned from locking up that Isaac guy. And I was ready to get home.

“Well, it's been nice, but I have a bed calling my name. And my ass is ready to answer that call.”

She laughed for me. I don't know if she was so tired that she found it amusing, so stressed that she was doing the nervous laugh thing, though it didn't sound right for that, or if she was just amused that I'd say it with strangers around. Hell, that was nothing compared to what I'd like to be able to say to Heero. Maybe it'd draw a blush from all surrounding us, but that wasn't about to happen.

“Home,” Heero sighed, and I got the distinct impression that he really had missed it. Though that might just be the comfy damned bed.

We parted our ways then. The new comers promising to come back in the morning to give statements on several of the things Heero had wanted, along with any others they could think of by then, and the rest of us going home in our own vehicles.

Heero and I rode together. It wasn't like I had had a warning that I'd be taking off in a work vehicle before I got there. Heero even leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes.

“That tired? That bed must have been really bad,” I chuckled.

“It was, and we didn't get much sleep once we were in either,” he said and yawned.

“You got to sleep in there? How'd you manage that?”

“Took turns standing guard with Hota. It was a comfortable mattress, but the stress didn't allow for much relaxing into sleep,” he grumbled.

I didn't really ask anything else. I figured he could tell me the next night, or if I wanted to know that badly, I could get my hands on a copy of the report, somehow....

I was surprised when he headed for the shower before bed. I was actually rather concerned that he'd fall asleep standing up. Walking seemed like it was a rather strenuous effort by then.

I did take the time to go in and pull back his covers while he was in there before I did my lock down checks of the apartment and went to bed myself. I didn't go to sleep though. I listened for Heero to leave the shower, and when I heard him snoring softly, I went to check on him.

I'd only seen him not make it to the bed once, a long time ago. Not that the view was a bad thing to see. Hell, nearly naked Heero Yuy is sexy no matter where you see it, or almost no matter how you are granted the view, but it just seemed cruel to let him sleep that way.

He'd made it to bed, but he hadn't been awake long enough to pull the covers over himself. His skin was warm when my fingers brushed against his shoulder as I pulled the covers over him. Even better under my lips where I dared to risk kissing his forehead. Once I was certain the covers were settled over him so that I knew he'd not wake cold, I went back to bed.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

They were waiting for us when we got there, a few minutes ahead of schedule. I was glad to see that we wouldn't be waiting for the retrieval car. As we got out of the car, I saw the rifle trained on us. It was not unusual to find yourself looking down the barrel of a rifle when you were surrounded by non-agents. We weren't exactly a trusting set of people in general to begin with.

I watched Duo approach slightly as we got out, with no visible armaments, but that rifle never seemed to waiver from the outsiders.

“Hey 'Ro, what's with the extras?” he asked with a smile.

“Who's your shooter?” I wanted to know. It was always good to know who was aiming that kind of thing. Depending on the answer as to whether or not I'd be jumpy.

“Agent Chen. You don't usually need this kind of pick up,” he said with a smirk. And he was right. Chang and I usually got our asses home ourselves.

I threw a hand signal, and watched as Agent Chen took the rifle back into the jeep. These people had gotten us into hell and helped to get us back out. I was in a position to think we were about as safe as we were going to get, considering the company we were keeping.

I was not surprised nor disappointed when Agent Chen sat herself up on the edge of the door where the window disappeared into it with a handgun still ready to aim and fire. She was a steady hand, and as distrusting of strangers as Chang and I tended to be. 

Hota and Koji deposited Isaac onto the ground as he started to come to, and Isaac took the opportunity to relieve himself of some of the alcohol still taking up residence in his stomach.

“So, who's with us and not? I get a score card in this?” Duo asked. Agent Chen threw in a comment agreeing.

“I am Amaia. This is Hota, and Koji, my guards. And that drunken asshole is my husband Isaac.”

“Isaac Stark, our target,” I clarified for Duo. I was sure his orders gave him the target's name.

“Hopefully, not your husband much longer,” Hota said. 

“It's hard to hold out hope that Kangi has waited for me,” she said.

“Kangi?” Duo asked before I had a chance. This was not a name we'd heard in the compound.

“Hota isn't your intended?” Chang asked.

“No,” she laughed brightly. “He is Kangi's cousin.”

“Kangi cannot be by her side, so I am here to protect her in his place,” Hota chuckled. He shoved Isaac on over with his foot . “Aren't you done yet, you drunk?”

There was a groan, grumble, and then a snore.

“I'd take that as a yes,” Koji said and lifted up the legs again. “Let's get out of here.”

The jeep was tight, but not completely unpleasant, or at least not to me. Though it would have been better without Agent Chen and the score of armaments the woman likes to haul with her. We really need to convince her less is more when it comes to variety, and just to carry more ammo for the ones she's going to use.

Duo's and my bodies were rather close though. Our bodies had a contact point starting at shoulders and almost down to the knees, with few breaks. I wouldn't complain about that, had we not been followed and ended up in a shooting match with our pursuers. That previous comment about less quantity and more ammo... let's just say I take it back, the woman can pack an armory if she likes.

By the end, the fall out was minimal. Hota had Chang cursing in Chinese. Chang didn't protest the assistance wrapping a makeshift bandage around his arm, but the search for glass was making him rather uncomfortable. Agent Chen was content to just stop the bleeding on her face, but Amaia was leaned forward behind me. She wanted to be sure that it wasn't too badly damaged.

I got the feeling she felt somewhat responsible for what her husband's people had done.

It didn't take too long to get Isaac Stark processed and into the lock up. I was rather pleased at the night clerk's speed at the process.

“Well, it's been nice, but I have a bed calling my name. And my ass is ready to answer that call,” Duo said, and the idea sounded wonderful.

“Home,” I sighed. It wasn't like having a home was a familiar thing for me just yet. Hell, I honestly kept waiting for another war to crop up and to lose that normal item, along with much more.

Amaia and her guards agreed to return in the morning to help fill in gaps in previous investigations to be able to book several of the other members to Stark's group. I was glad for that small victory alone.

Before we continue, allow me to declare my disagreement with the way humans are wired. We should not be made to crave sex right after almost being killed. It's a ludicrous way to be thinking at that kind of moment. But when the bullets stopped flying into that jeep, all I could think about was a slow burning of that adrenaline with Duo's body as the outlet.

I followed Duo down to his car. I really did trust him to get me wherever it was I needed to be and just let myself relax into the seat, closing my eyes and just taking in the comfort that was Duo's presence.

“That tired? That bed must have been really bad,” Duo chuckled.

“It was, and we didn't get much sleep once we were in either,” I answered with a yawn. I didn't even bother to open my eyes.

“You got to sleep in there? How'd you manage that?” he asked. The curiosity in his voice made me smile slightly.

“Took turns standing guard with Hota. It was a comfortable mattress, but the stress didn't allow for much relaxing into sleep,” I mumbled. I really didn't feel like discussing the matter. I just wanted to sit there and let his being near help me unwind. 

It wasn't like my mind wasn't doing those nice little laps that screamed to touch him. Little images of my hands on him, lips pressing kisses to soft skin... they all took turns in various orders making it a bit aggravating actually. So I was trying to push them aside and just take in his scent and relax.

When we got home, I forced my feet to carry me to the shower. It was more for the privacy than anything else. I needed some relief, and I could not have Duo popping in to make sure I hadn't fallen asleep in the few steps to the bed, and actually crashed on the floor. Let it happen one time in a safe house in the middle of a war, and a guy never let's you live it down. But what does it say about me, when my heart skips a beat at the thought that he cared enough to even remember it?

The water ran down over my shoulders and the warmth felt good. I thought about just letting the cold water do the work, but quite frankly if he waited up, he'd be more likely to touch my shoulder. I did not need to be explaining my awakeness and feeling like an ice cube.

It wasn't hard to draw an image of Duo into my mind. Hell, I probably should have felt guilty at thinking of the way his arms embraced me the night of that nightmare. It would have been so easy for him to move his hand down and stroked me. And right now, that was exactly what I needed.

It felt so good to just let my head rest against the shower wall and forget about everything but the pleasure. The chance to forget all the stresses of life. The opportunity to indulge my secret desire to be closer to him. My hips were driving into my hand, unable to resist the idea of being able to be inside him. Again, the human body should not be wired this way.

I was panting and whispering his name like a private mantra by the time I came, pleading for him to make it last a little longer, yet knowing I didn't have the time to drag it out, nor the patience. I was rather proud at the fact that I didn't cry out his name when I did cum. Though I did find myself sitting on the shower floor soon after, legs far too weak to support me without their own chance to recover. 

As soon as I was able, I finished my shower and dragged my weary ass to bed. Ah sweet bed, how I missed you. I was too exhausted to bother with drawing the covers over me and just went to sleep where they'd been turned back.


	6. Chapter 6

DUO'S POV

I did leave the alarm on so that I could call Agent Chen at the office. I sent her up to Heero's office to deal with Amaia Stark and her guards. I figured Wufei would be sleeping late as well, and told her that if she needed me to, I'd come in but otherwise, I was gonna stay home and sleep more. She agreed to do her best to fill in the gaps in the reports and schedule for them to return at a later date to speak with Heero and Chang.

It was some time in the middle of the day when either of us actually woke up. In fact, it was a few hours after I woke, that Heero finally did briefly. I was lucky in the fact that he'd been so far gone, he didn't know about my little slip of kissing his forehead the night before. Can you call that the night before? I mean it was really late in the night, but that's really early in the morning as well. I don't know, these things have always made no sense to me.

The problem with him not knowing about that little slip in my armor was, that the link that broke enough to allow that, still wasn't welded back together. I wanted to do that again, more than anything. More than continuing to live my own damned life, and if I acted on that feeling, then that would be the very result, I was sure of it.

He sauntered into the kitchen with an absent-minded gesture of scratching at his stomach. His eyes were still heavy-lidded and that dark hair was flopping down into his eyes. Damn it but we were too tired for this. He dug in the fridge for a bit and then returned with a can of pop. It was a rare thing, but I guess he was too tired to fight with making tea yet. I know I was too out of it to fight with the coffee maker. Hell, I'd slept a bit more on the couch after I got up.

But if there was one thing I'd learned, it was when I was getting to the point where sleep and dreams weren't going to be good. Light napping was going to have to bridge that gap, and it'd be all day before he got over that two week long run of cat naps. Though watching him sit down with that can, drinking it quickly, and the way his eyes drooped with the struggle to stay awake long enough to finish was a wonderful past time.

“Hey,” he said, voice thick with sleep.

“Hey,” I returned quietly. He still wasn't waking up. I knew that. “Go on back to bed, I'll wake you for dinner.”

“Won't sleep tonight,” he answered with a yawn.

“You will. It's been 2 weeks without sleep. I'm surprised you woke up this soon.”

“Nature called,” he chuckled.

I grinned, “It always has bad timing, doesn't it?”

“Hn,” he agreed. Leave it to Heero to resort to a syllable to express himself. It still happens, usually only at times like this where he's exhausted, or stressed and his mind won't let up to form full answers.

I could think of another way nature calls and it was a damned siren's song that it was singing for me now. One that told me to reach out and brush those unruly locks from his face, to kiss those tender lips, and to slide my fingers over his skin in a caress my fingers ached to make familiar.

And that call was always with bad timing as well. 

I was relieved when he went back to bed. The temptation out of sight, I could let myself relax a bit and try to force my brain to wrap around reality to control my hormones. And it was then, when the romantic laps halted, that I realized he didn't worry over his oversleeping and missing his interview with Mrs. Stark. That realization was painful, so horribly painful, that I couldn't begin to think of anything else.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

The fact that it was light out when I opened my eyes didn't really surprise me. Neither did the loud calling that nature was doing. I smiled softly as I turned under the covers. I knew he couldn't keep from checking on me before going to sleep last night. It was a warming feeling inside spreading throughout, but it was going to have to sustain itself while I answered nature's call. 

Duo's door was open, but I didn't pause long enough to see if he was still sleeping. I realized my throat was fairly dry by the time I got half way down the hall to the bathroom, and decided I should probably detour on the way back to bed. It was hard to focus on much of anything, still exhausted from the two weeks without more than 4 hours sleep a day.

I was not completely surprised to find Duo sitting at the kitchen table with a can of mountain dew. Hell, I was more surprised to find myself not waking at the 4 hour mark out of habit. I went to the fridge to find another of his precious cans. He certainly seemed perky enough for drinking the stuff, and I really should be trying to make myself awake up for the day.

I sat down at the table and drained a few swallows of the liquid before I even tried to speak.

“Hey,” I said, and was surprised at how thick my voice still sounded.

“Hey,” he answered softly. “Go on back to bed, I'll wake you for dinner,” he encouraged, and I'm sure he didn't realize just how wonderful a thought that was. I could still hear my pillow calling to me, a sweet siren's call.

“Won't sleep tonight,” I answered and yawned. I felt a little bad for that.

“You will. It's been 2 weeks without sleep. I'm surprised you woke up this soon.”

“Nature called,” I chuckled.

He grinned one of those unguarded, natural smiles. “It always has bad timing, doesn't it?”

“Hn,” I agreed. Though, in a way, I was glad it had to grant me the privilege of seeing that handsome face and smile.

I finished the can in a few more gulps and then headed back to bed. That did seem like the best answer, and if I couldn't sleep that night, I'd just make use of the time with a little Duo watching if nothing else.

* * *

DUO'S POV

I thought he'd actually gone back to bed, and that worried me. He should have been worried about oversleeping. I should have had to stop him from going to work. Well, it didn't take long for that thought to apparently leap from my mind, run down the hall, and settle itself into his head. He came down the hall so fast I didn't even get a chance to look at him before he was going through the doorways and into the living room.

“'Ro?” I asked setting my can on the table.

“I forgot about Amaia,” he answered quickly pulling his shoes on.

“Heero, I took care of it. Heero?” He wasn't hearing a word I said, his mind so busy working that I couldn't get him to listen with words alone.

He was reaching for the door knob before I could get across the room. I planted my hand firmly against the door to stop him from opening it. I lost myself. I know I did because my arm was wrapped around his waist, but I didn't want him getting out that door without hearing me.

“I called Chen. She went up to talk to them this morning. She said she'd set an appointment for them to come back and talk to you and 'Fei. It's all handled,” I breathed near his ear. It wasn't like there was much distance there in that position. 

“You didn't wake me?”he said in a deep tone. He still didn't sound like he was awake enough to worry about it.

“You are exhausted. Now go back to bed,” I said trying to calm him. I realized how stiff his body was and that is when I thought about how I was standing there with him in my arm. 

I slipped my arm back from around him. I closed my eyes to try to gather myself back together and lock away the fear of destroying a friendship that meant the world to me. He went back down the hall slowly, silently. That did nothing to calm the fears; in fact, it fanned the flames. But he wasn't threatening to kill me or saying he was moving out, and I guess that is what kept me from complete panic.

The very panic that tried to free itself minutes later when he came back out in his Preventer's jacket and jeans. 

“Thought you were going back to bed,” I said as he walked far more calmly through.

“I am awake, so I'm going to check on security at Relena's,” he said.

“Alright,” I sighed. I didn't buy the work excuse, or he'd still have on his slacks instead of jeans. When I heard the door click shut, I let out an exasperated groan and went back to the bedroom. I threw myself across the bed and tried, hard, not to think.

Like that was going to work.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

Sleep. Or so that had been the plan, until my brain kicked in enough to remember Amaia Stark and the case. I was up again and racing down the hall, dressed for work.

“'Ro?” he called, and I couldn't even stop before I was through the doorways and in the living room.

“I forgot about Amaia,” I shot out hurrying to get my shoes on.

My hand was on the door before I heard a thing he was saying. I wouldn't have heard that had I not seen his hand planted on the door eye level and felt the warm, firm grip around my waist. It was a struggle not to lean back into the grip, and my body was stiff with shock and fear.

“I called Chen. She went up to talk to them this morning. She said she'd set an appointment for them to come back and talk to you and 'Fei. It's all handled,” he said softly. His breath was warm on my neck as he spoke.

“You didn't wake me?” I got out without the desperate groan escaping, though it clawed at my throat fighting for its freedom.

“You are exhausted. Now go back to bed,” his voice was so soft and calming.

His arm slipped free of my waist, and I managed to turn with my back to him. It was hard to turn and walk down the hall back to bed. I think I managed to mutter a thank you before I got to the hall.

I sat on the bed for a moment before deciding I had to do something before I ruined the most important friendship I have ever had. I changed into jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing my jacket again and heading for the door. I had to get away from there, so I could think.

“Thought you were going back to bed,” he said. His voice was low and pained.

“I am awake, so I'm going to check on security at Relena's,” I answered feeling guilty that it was my fault he sounded the way he did.

“Alright,” he sighed. 

He really was a good friend, and I was sure he was worried about my not getting enough sleep. Let alone that nice little adrenaline rush of near panic. But I had to get out of there. I had to talk to someone, and I figured that either Chang would be at Relena's checking on things or at least Relena would be there.

I would have preferred finding Chang there. I really would have. He's a calm, level-headed voice when I need it. Where Relena was a more emotional voice. 

“Heero? Shouldn't you still be resting?” she asked as she walked in from the terrace.

“I'm fine 'Le-Relena,” I answered. She smirked.

“You've been around Duo a lot, haven't you?” she giggled.

“What?”

“You started to call me 'Lena. He's the only one that does that,” she said with a warm smile. She really did care about the guys, and had made quite an effort to get them to all think of her home as a welcome place.

“I came by to check on things,” I said watching her as she came closer. She was watching me as well, and she had learned to read me fairly well in the time we'd been together.

“Wufei already did that. Now why are you really here? You don't work in jeans.”

She's a smart girl. Very perceptive. 

“I needed to talk to...”

“To someone, and you were hoping to find your partner that you forgot to call and warn about your sleeping in?”

I nodded just a little on the sheepish side. I really did need to apologize to him for that. 

“Come on, Heero,” she said sweetly, and as I was known to do in the past, followed her wherever she led.

I was glad that she led us to the room I'd used as my den when we were together. It was a familiar room that I knew well. She hadn't changed anything in there so that I could use it as my office when I had to work there. 

“Now get over there into your chair,” she stated calmly.

I went around and sat in the tall leather chair that I spent hours in before thinking of all the different problems, most of which actually had solutions.

“Alright, Agent Yuy. Take off the Preventer's uniform and slip into the friend mind set,” she said quietly. I looked at her for a moment, and realized I was still sitting there in thought as I had when Chang and I worked on cases. I nodded and tried to get myself to relax a bit more.

She must have seen the amount of relaxation she thought she was going to achieve when she decided to continue. “Good. Now, talk to me about whatever has you looking for Wufei without thinking of calling him,” she said in that tone that always made me remember just how much she'd grown since that first meeting.

“I'm going to destroy the most important friendship with some stupid mistake,” I said, voice barely loud enough for her to hear.

“You mean the one that you assured me wouldn't remain just a dream if you were free to go after him?”

“It's not just a dream. He opened his home to me,” I started and stopped when I saw her eyes.

“Heero Yuy, you need to stop trying to pinpoint the perfect moment and the perfect cue. Tell him what you are feeling. This is Duo Maxwell we are talking about. Duo is not going to throw away someone as precious to him as you. I think you are being blind to what could be a wonderful thing for the both of you.”

I stared at her, openly. 

“Don't give me that look. I know what I am saying. Girls talk, and Hilde knows more than you could ever hope to know the way you are going on,” she said. With a puff of air to fluff her bangs out of her eyes, she shifted forward in the way she always does before saying something the way Hilde or Duo would. “You need to 'pull your head out of your ass'.”

I chuckled. I couldn't help it. The very image of Relena saying that was just too good.

“That's more like it, Heero. Go home and talk to him,” she said in that soft, firm tone that always let you know she was not going to hear another problem with the situation. She left me there to think. And I stayed for a little while. But I wanted to be home by dinner. I wanted to know what Duo was fixing.

* * *

DUO'S POV

I was working on dinner when he came in the door. I didn't bother stopping, just waited listening to his footsteps, to find out where he'd go. I was filled by a very mixed set of emotions when he sat down at the kitchen table.

“Everything okay at 'Lena's?” I asked, never even turning to look at him.

“Fine,” he answered. He certainly didn't sound fine.

“You okay?” I asked as I checked the stove once more, forcing myself not to turn and go to him.

There was a sigh before he answered. I could hear movement, but he didn't get up. “Just preoccupied.”

“Anything you can talk about?” I offered. I certainly didn't expect an answer, and he didn't surprise me by not giving me one.

There was a sound that I knew was one meant to drop it, so I did.

I had the potato soup on the table, and we were over half way done when he finally made a sound that wasn't just a complement and thank you for the dinner.

“I can't do this,” he huffed and buried his face in his hands.

“Do what?” I asked putting the spoon back in my bowl and leaning forward.

He shook his head and grumbled again, “Can't do this.”

I waited, expecting him to either pull himself together or give me a clue as to what the hell he was talking about.

“I'll...I'll find somewhere else to live tomorrow. I'm sorry,” he blurted, and I couldn't stopped my feet if I'd wanted to. I was on my knees and spinning his chair around to face me as quickly as I could.

“What?” I asked as he dropped his hands. My eyes were searching his instantly desperately looking for any clue.

“I can't do this. I can't lose you as a friend. I...,” he took a deep breath and then the last words flew from his lips faster than the speedy ones before, “love you.”

Words were not an option. My throat was so tight I couldn't get a single word to move, so I did the next best thing, or maybe the best thing. I raised up enough to press my lips to his. The sweet sensation of his warm lips against mine was heavenly, but when his lips gave in and he began to kiss back it became deliriously exquisite. Heavenly didn't even begin to describe it.

“Duo...?” he whispered when our lips parted. Our foreheads were against each other, and we were both a bit breathless to say the least.

“Don't go,” I said, and my voice was on the pleading side. I could feel my body shaking and his arms resting across my shoulders. 

I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself that I was not on my knees begging him to stay, and that I was really dreaming that he'd said he loved me. None of this could be real, I'd fallen asleep on the bed, and this was all a dream. It had to be.

“Do you...? You aren't.....,” he started and then got quiet. When I opened my eyes, I could see his eyes searching my face.

“I do, and I'm not,” I said quietly. “I thought you were upset over how close I was earlier.”

Obviously, he was, only not the way I had thought he was. His arms tightened around my shoulders drawing me into him. “Heero...?”

“Can we....again?” he whispered, his lips near mine and the words touching my lips in the little puffs of air they were carried on.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his for my answer.... any time.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I came home to the smell of dinner on the stove. I knew he'd have started by the time I got there, and it was something so normal. It shouldn't have made me feel so warm inside. And damn Relena for her making everything Wufei said hit that much harder than before. 

I had known that moving in here was a limited time thing, that eventually I'd have to move so that I didn't destroy our friendship with my own emotions. I wanted somewhere to go before I told Duo that I was concerned about becoming too close and losing my friend. If he wanted to take it as a work related issue, it would probably be better for us. If he didn't know I loved him, then he couldn't hate me for it.

I sat down at the table watching him while I still could.

“Everything okay at 'Lena's?” he asked. He didn't even turn to look at me. Gods that hurt. 

“Fine,” I grumbled. He always looked at me when we talked, and now he's not even willing to look over his shoulder. I've already destroyed our friendship. I had to have for him to not even be able to look at me.

“You okay?” he asked as he stirred the pot on the stove.

I sighed heavily for the loss that I knew was coming officially. I ran my hand over my forehead and up through my hair before answering, “Just preoccupied.”

“Anything you can talk about?”

I wanted to. Hell, I'd gone to find Chang to do just that. But I didn't want to feel it all fall apart yet. I felt the growl vibrate in my throat and I tried to keep it locked inside as best I could.

I sat there watching him finish up the soup and brought the two bowls to the table. I was surprised at myself for what happened near the end of the meal, or what would have been the end had I not lost my self control.

“I can't do this,” I huffed and buried my face in my hands.

“Do what?” he asked. I heard his spoon hit the side of the bowl.

I shook my head and grumbled, “Can't do this.”

How was I supposed to sit here and pretend that I didn't love him? How was I going to deny the most baser of human needs? I couldn't. I had to get out, and fast. He was already upset with me to the point of not being able to look at me. 

“I'll...I'll find somewhere else to live tomorrow. I'm sorry,” I said quickly.

The next thing I knew his hands were on my knees, and he was turning my chair to face him. As I pulled my hands down to look at him, he was kneeling there looking at me, that stricken look written all over his face.

“What?” he asked. His eyes were looking into mine, searching, trying to draw my soul out. 

And I was terrified he would. And then it was too late, my mouth was going before I could stop it. “I can't do this. I can't lose you as a friend. I...,” I took a deep, steadying breath. I tried to stop it, but the words flew from my lips, “love you.”

I was waiting for him to shoot me down, to tell me how I was being foolish. I was not expecting the instant response of his lips firm against mine. I came to my senses enough to respond and wrap my arms around his shoulders, pressing my lips to his eagerly. 

He was trembling. But it felt so good to have my arms around him, his warm lips against mine. I couldn't even try to pull my lips from his until we were both parting them for air.

“Duo...?” I whispered when our lips parted. Our foreheads were against each other. I needed to know what was happening, needed to feel that he wasn't going to send me away with that little taste of perfection.

“Don't go,” he whispered, and his voice was pleading. His eyes closed, and I could see the slow breaths he was taking to try to get that precious control over his voice.

“Do you...? You aren't.....,” I started and then got quiet. I couldn't bring myself to finish the questions. Did he feel the same about me? Love me? Didn't he hate me?

When his eyes opened, my eyes were still searching every inch of his face for some clue.

“I do, and I'm not,” he said quietly, voice a sweet thing to my ears. “I thought you were upset over how close I was earlier.”

I had been upset. Upset that I had wanted to lean back into that touch and let him make the world vanish. Wanted to let him take the reins and handle everything because I knew he could. To turn in his arm and feel those warm lips on mine. And now, I had. I was sure my world would shatter if I didn't keep him close.

My arms tightened around his shoulders drawing him in closer to me. 

“Heero...?”

“Can we....again?” I whispered, my lips almost against his. I needed to feel it again. Needed to feel the reality of it again.

He leaned forward the last of the distance gone, and that delicious warmth was there again, claiming my lips and my heart. My soul.


	7. Chapter 7

DUO'S POV

The rest of the evening went by in a rush of desperate touches and lots of awkwardness. It wasn't so much being seen naked, as it was the context of said nudity. The shyness of being inadequate in visual along with in action was not exactly conducive to smooth, skilled love making. Not that either of us was overly experienced.

Hair was pulled, though in his defense, he was rather lost in the moment. I did learn to make sure he had a lower hold on the braid the next time he reached for it. Though it was a chore getting him to relax enough to cooperate with that offer again after the yelp I had let out when it pulled.

It was a relief to find out I hadn't missed my mark on some of his sensitive spots. Not too hard to start piecing that together from all the times we'd taken care of each other injured. And oh the sounds he made. 

I took great pleasure in kissing from his jaw back and down along his neck while my hands were caressing his chest gently. I teased and stroked over spots I'd dreamed of touching. All learned from bandaging him up back then and watching his reactions to the contact.

I let my mouth join my hands and worked my way down his chest and over his smooth stomach. The soft sounds he made only encouraged and asked for more. I was enjoying the sounds and arching of his body to meet my touches. My lips brushed against the tip of his erection and his back arched up. I yelped when my braid pulled tight. 

I looked up to see his fist wrapped in my braid tightly. His eyes were wide and shock was obvious. 

“Sorry,” he said and quickly let go of my braid. I watched him put his hands down by his sides on the bed, his fingers clenching in the sheets as I leaned down to kiss the tip again.

“It's okay,” I assured him. I let my braid lay near his hand giving him the chance to hold a lower section if he wanted. 

I worked my mouth over his length eagerly. I was looking up over his body, his eyes squeezed shut and his hands locked in the sheets. I worked my hand beneath his to weave our fingers together, hoping that it would encourage him to let go of the sheets and relax into what we were doing. When his grip tightened in my hand and the other didn't move, I decided that was not going to be enough. 

I took his other hand and brought it up to my head. I laid my hand over his, our fingers together so that I could try to coax his fingers into stroking and kneading into my scalp. 

“Duo,” he pleaded. 

I kept licking and sucking, letting my fingers work on his hand in my hair. When his fingers finally moved on their own, I couldn't help the low moan that worked up from my throat. He groaned, and a shudder that ran through him.

I eased my hand from his in my hair and stroked up his arm and back down his side, over his hip. As long as his fingers were in my hair, my fingers were stroking and petting his hip. I knew when he lost that precious control when suddenly his frantic moaning and gasping became louder and his hips suddenly shot up and drove himself deeper than I was ready for.

I grabbed hold of his hip and tried to hold him steady on the bed as I drew back a bit to stop myself from gagging. I could taste him spilling over into my mouth. 

I was still coughing and licking my lips, palm of my hand still firm on his hip, though now to hold myself up easier than to keep him down. As the last of the coughing stopped, I noticed him looking at me, a worried expression on his face.

“Sorry, wasn't expecting that,” I said quietly as I laid my head against his thigh.

“Hmm?”

“You were so still I didn't expect you to thrust like that. I just choked myself a little that's all,” I answered nuzzling my cheek against his thigh.

“Sorry,” he panted, his fingers were still stroking my hair tenderly.

I couldn't let him turn this into something negative. We'd both enjoyed it, and I wasn't about to let him crawl back inside his mind and turn this into a way he failed. I crawled up that toned body to kiss him again. “Don't be,” I whispered against his lips.

I was glad that he didn't turn away. Glad that being able to taste himself wasn't a problem for him. I knew I'd allowed myself to become too distracted by the way his tongue was exploring my mouth when I was suddenly pinned between him and the mattress.

I wasn't surprised when he tried to keep his touches light. His strength was always a turn on for me, but he was trying not to hurt. Which was also a turn on in it's own way, but a frustration as well. 

“Touch me,” I groaned as his fingers ghosted down my chest again. His caress hesitated, so I reached up to his hand and pressed his fingers against my skin more firmly. “I won't break,” I moaned as his fingers came into contact with my ribs.

His lips worked on my neck, and I tilted my head to give him more access to continue. When his hand started to stroke down my side and along my hip, I let my hand leave his. I wanted to let my hands go back to exploring him, but he went back to that feather light touch as if my guiding the pressure was the only way he could be sure he wasn't being too rough.

“Damn it, you were rougher bandaging me up,” I growled. I swung my leg around his hips and drew him down into me, thrusting up for some contact that would give me some form of relief.

His throaty growl made me buck even harder up into him. When his hand gripped my thigh firmly, I cried out, “God YES.”

I am embarrassed to admit that it didn't take much more before I came between us. Not for lack of trying to fight it, but for the sheer assault on my deepest desires as they were ripped from their hiding spot and into reality.

Though I guess I shouldn't be too embarrassed considering he didn't last that much longer either even with having already done so once.

* * *

Waking up was an interesting event. It was a wonderful feeling waking up in his arms, but there was the moment of panic when I started to wake up. His arms tightening around me was a comfort until he started waking and then was letting go of the tight grip.

“Morning,” I said quietly, turning my face up toward his where it laid on his shoulder.

“Mmm, morning,” he replied, still somewhat sleepy.

It was actually a comfort to find that bit of reality still there. I learned I wouldn't have been dismissing it as a dream as soon as I tried to get up. 

“Duo?” his voice called with concern. His fingers trailed down my back and along over my hip. The touch was gentle, but not too lightly. I wasn't sure if it was a conscious effort or a lack of conscious thought that caused it, but I was grateful for it.

“A little sore,” I answered and felt the fingers still. “Don't. I'm fine.”

I had to grab his hand as he started to pull back. “I'm sorry.”

“Come here,” I grumbled and tugged his wrist to encourage him to come closer. Once he was laid across the bed closer, I ran my fingers through his hair. “I am fine Heero. Lets just not wait so long before it happens again.” I gave him a soft chuckle, and ran my fingers along his jaw. 

His eyes were pained, and I felt my heart ache. “That is as long as you don't regret it,” I said, fingers stilled against his skin.

“Never,” he breathed sounding so sure. He took my hand in his and kissed the back of my hand so lovingly.

 

I was glad that the monthly 'ex-pilot' gathering was at our place that day. By the time we were done, I didn't think I'd be walking too well, let alone sitting. Having it in our house gave me the chance to stand in the kitchen more than sitting around until time to actually eat.

“Duo, why are you hanging out in here so much?” Trowa asked leaning against the counter beside me.

I flashed him a bright smile and gave him an amused chuckle. “Let's just say, we won't be having those, 'you have to tell him' chats any more.”

“Is that the smile on his face?” Trowa mused with a smirk. “I'm glad. Though I'll miss those talks.”

“I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to tell me I'm being blind and missing the obvious. I am with Heero now after all. And I've proven I'm completely blind where he's concerned.”

“Not as blind as you are into denial. You saw it. You just refused to admit it was what it was,” he teased. He reached over and dipped a finger into the sauce and tasted it. “Glad he didn't jar any memories of how to make that sauce loose.”

“Naw, you have to be 'kept' to forget that kind of thing,” I teased back.

I knew Quatre was the source of the footsteps I heard before I even saw the expression on Trowa's face change. “Is everything okay in here?”

I spun around giving him a bright smile, “Of course. Everything is perfect.”

His face went from that innocent smile with concern to one that just lit up the whole damned room. That knowing look was just too obvious, and eagerly given.

“Duo, that's wonderful,” he said taking a couple steps toward me before we heard Heero and Wufei moving.

“Is he giving out free samples or something?” Wufei asked from the doorway.

“Aww, afraid you won't get a taste of me?” I teased, and he obliged me with the usual huff and grumble. I'd almost think he wanted me to believe my comments bothered him, but we both knew better than that.

We got down to eating before long, and I was glad we had to sit in the living room on the soft furniture. I was grateful when Trowa offered to help with the clean up while the others got to stay in the living room and talk. Not that being only a room apart left much privacy, but enough for the hushed voices we were using.

“Sore?”

I blushed and ducked my head.

“Oh come on Duo. You aren't exactly throwing yourself down on the couch in your usually boneless manor,” he said, leaning over to bump my shoulder with his.

“Let's just say things didn't go without complications,” I hedged.

“I tried to get you to tell him before you guys had months of living so closely. All that frustration of wanting each other so badly,” he said quietly.

“Okay, so we got a little carried away. That wasn't the only complication,” I grumbled.

“Oh?”

“Hey, I don't exactly kiss and tell,” I snipped.

“I'm not asking for all the dirty details. I'm asking if you are okay,” he assured, setting the dish towel down and leaning on the counter turned to face me.

I stopped and turned to face him as well. “I am more than okay. Some pulled hair, his fear of hurting me by touching too hard,” at this point I had to stop and wait for him to control his need to laugh.

“Too hard? I think that barrier was crossed,” he chuckled softly.

“It took a little work to get to that point. Anyway, I'm sure you remember what it was like, that first time with Quat'.”

“Yeah, and every fumble is a fond memory. Sometimes, I think that made it more precious.”

“I'm not complaining, Tro'. Hell, if I weren't sore, I'd almost believe it was a dream.”

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I couldn't tell you how we got down the hall into his room. I can't tell you how exactly we knew we were at the point of going past that tentative kissing to something far more personal. I just remember feeling nervous about him seeing me without the medical need, and the clinical eye that was needed back then.

Going from being able to stand before him in the showers at a school to here in his bedroom about to offer ourselves to each other was staggering mentally. His lips were trailing along my neck and his hands were gliding over my chest so gently. His fingers teasing and pinching, then caressing over spots I'd only dreamed he'd touch. How he found them so easily I don't know.

I gripped his braid in my hand, fisted it not far down his back. His mouth and hands were so distracting that I forgot to pay attention to what I was doing. When his lips brushed against the tip of my erection, I gasped, back arched, and he yelped. It took a moment to realize I'd also pulled his braid as he moved down and my arms didn't. 

“Sorry,” I blurted and let go quickly. I forced my hands to go down on the bed at my sides, letting my fingers work into the sheets as his lips kissed the tip.

“It's okay,” he assured, but I couldn't convince myself that it was okay to reach for him again. I couldn't bare to hurt him.

I tried my best to keep control and force my hands to stay on the mattress. I tried, but when he worked his hands under mine and laced our fingers together with one hand, I couldn't. It wasn't until I felt his hair underneath the other that I realized he was moving my hand to touch his head. 

“Duo,” I pleaded. My eyes were looking down at him, begging him not to let me hurt him. Not to let me ruin this.

He laid his hand over mine his fingers laying over mine encouraging them to work into his hair and against his head. When my fingers flexed against his scalp, he gave a low moan, and I almost lost myself right there.

His hand left mine on his head and went back down to stroke my hip, and between the coaxing his mouth was working on and his fingers stroking along my hip I did lose myself. Lost every ounce of control and gave myself over to the feeling.

By the time I was coming back to myself, panting, I could feel his palm planted firmly into my hip and he was coughing a bit. 

“Sorry, wasn't expecting that,” he said as he laid his head against my thigh. 

“Hmm?” was all I could manage as I tried to wrap my mind around his words and the reality of his being there with me.

“You were so still I didn't expect you to thrust like that. I just choked myself a little that's all,” he said nuzzling my thigh with his cheek.

I felt bad for choking him. It was obvious at that moment that while I was allowing myself the pleasure of the feeling, my body was taking what it needed to keep it going from Duo.

“Sorry,” I panted, my fingers stroking through his hair gently.

With that word, he was up and crawling up my body to kiss me. “Don't be,” he said gently. I could taste myself on his lips as he kissed me again. I could feel his own need not only pressed against my thigh, but in the desperation of the kiss he was drowning me in. I took advantage of his distraction and flipped us over so that I was over him.

I just kept telling myself not to hurt him. Not to lose my control and let my strength be dangerous. I tried so hard to be gentle.

“Touch me,” he groaned, his body arching up to meet my fingers as I trailed them over his chest. I froze, trying to keep from letting the desire to touch him let me get carried away again. He reached up and pressed my hand into his chest firmly. “I won't break,” he moaned as my fingers traced his ribs.

I kissed my way along his neck, and when his head tipped exposing more of the warm flesh to me, I knew I must have been doing something right. I let my hand run down along his side and onto his hip. He guided my fingers, pressing my hand into his skin on the way down. When he drew his hand back, it joined his other hand on my skin. The warmth of his palm sliding along my back was so good that I feared losing myself to it. 

“Damn it, you were rougher bandaging me up,” he growled. I'd have felt bad about that had he not wrapped his leg around my hips and pulled me down into me at that very moment. Then he thrust up against me and my world tilted on it's axis.

The primal moan that escaped his lips and the way his body rocked against mine with such need made me growl low in my throat and he thrust up against me even harder. My hand gripped his thigh tightly wanting to feel more of him, wrapped around me, against me. 

It wasn't until he cried out that I realized how tight my hand had gotten, and if that pleasured cry was any indication, it wasn't too harsh.

I was amazed at how quickly he was crying out and coating us both. Just seeing his face like that and hearing those sounds made me lose the ability to even try to control my own climax again. I let my body claim the last of the friction it needed to let my own climax join his before almost crashing down on top of him with limbs too tired to be troubled with holding me up any more.

Time had ceased to exist the second he had kissed me in that kitchen, but it was as if it had no concept even before that by the time we were moving again. And I had never dreamed it would feel so good inside him. I'd always felt it would be an amazing pleasure, but the word amazing got an entirely new definition in the moment I felt myself inside him, and then again when we came. 

* * *

I woke up to the feel of warmth on my side and my arm tightly wrapped around it. I started easing my grip only to feel his head turn to look up at my face from my shoulder.

“Morning,” he said quietly.

“Mmm, morning,” I murmured back. It felt so right waking up with him. Our lips brushed before he started to get up. 

He winced as he sat up. “Duo?” I asked softly. I ran my fingers along the small of his back and over his hip gently watching him for another sign of what I was sure was pain.

“A little sore,” he answered and the absent stroking of my fingers stopped. “Don't. I'm fine.”

I started to draw my hand back from his body. I'd never meant to hurt him, and the thought that I had was heart wrenching, especially considering how I'd done it. “I'm sorry,” I whispered.

He caught my wrist and tugged on it pulling me closer. “Come here,” he grumbled. I let him draw me over to him across the bed. His fingers trailed through my hair and it was so soothing. “I am fine Heero. Lets just not wait so long before it happens again,” he said with a soft chuckle. He ran his fingers down along my jaw.

I still felt guilty for hurting him. “That is as long as you don't regret it,” he said his fingers stopping under my chin.

“Never,” I breathed. I took his hand in mine and kissed the back of it gently.

 

I was glad for the monthly gathering to being here, at home. Home, now there's a word I find new pleasure in. Duo takes a great deal of pride in his cooking. I think it stems from not being able to eat, decent food, when he was growing up. I can remember being proud of scoring a decent meal during the war every once in a while. Trowa even went in to make sure he didn't need help.

And not that it didn't strike a small cord of jealousy inside me, but now that I knew how he felt about me, it was much easier to ignore. I was grateful when Quatre went into the kitchen to see if his lover and friend needed help. Though it left me alone with a set of dark, knowing eyes that had been giving certain looks since he got here.

“Finally?” he asked.

“Yes,” I sighed.

“And I was right?”

“Obviously,” I groused.

“I wouldn't be so upset over that fact, if I were you,” he said with a smirk.

“Duo, that's wonderful,” we heard Quatre said and it was so cheerful and happy, I knew what he'd heard. Chang and I both started for the kitchen. I was sure lunch should be almost done by then.

“Is he giving out free samples or something?” Chang asked leaning in the doorway.

“Aww, afraid you won't get a taste of me?” Duo teased, and Chang gave the usual huff and grumble. 

For all my partner's complaints about Duo's obvious sexual innuendos, he really doesn't mind. He's said before that his job as the 'sensible brother' is to find objection even if he doesn't object to the teasing nature of which it is delivered.

Duo's cooking was delicious as usual. And I wasn't surprised when Duo and Trowa vanished to handle the dishes. They had done the same thing when Quatre was out of town, and they seemed to enjoy the time to talk.

“Yuy,” Chang started and I was dreading where it would lead. It's not that I don't trust Quatre, but he's far more emotional than Chang and I tend to be when it comes to these types of things. I am just more comfortable with the conversations Chang and I have.

“Okay, I am done being patient. I've had to listen to both of you about the other since the war, and I want to know who finally broke down and admitted it first,” Quatre said in a tone that while being a caring brother, also left no room to deny him.

“I did.”

“You? Finally?” Chang asked incredulously.

“Had you still been at Relena's when I got there yesterday, you'd already know how part of this happened,” I informed him.

“You actually showed up? I figured you were still dead to the world.”

“I would have been had I not remembered the case we were supposed to be working on that morning,” I grumbled.

“I'm glad something got you in gear,” Quatre said.

I was glad he wasn't going to gush over how he just knew all along. I was glad none of them were doing the 'we told you' bit. Not that they wouldn't have been justified.

“Honestly, exhaustion had a lot to do with it. And I am never talking to Relena about something that personal again. Next time, I am going to track you down,” I said looking at my partner.

“Seems like she achieved what we couldn't,” he said coolly, but I could see a bit of hurt in those dark eyes.

“More like she just brought enough of your words back to the forefront. She wouldn't have swayed me,” I assured him. And it was true. She just happened to pick enough of the right comments that I let his words do their job as I sat there and thought about it. Her ability to talk people into action didn't phase me.

“I'm glad I didn't waste all that time then,” he said and the small, soft smile told me he was teasing.

“Heero, you were going to tell us if we hadn't noticed, weren't you?” Quatre asked. I was sure that he was a little disappointed that he had to figure it out for himself instead of being told the second they came in the door. We were the closest thing he had to brothers, after all.

“I was...leaving that up to Duo,” I said. Really I hadn't considered saying a word to anyone. I expected Chang to notice something was not exactly the same between Duo and I. I hadn't given it any other thought. Not even much thought to what really had happened between us.

I mean we hadn't really said we were dating. Neither of us had asked. I did know that he cared, deeply. He had asked me to stay after I'd said I would get out, almost begged. I'd said I loved him. He had later, but does it truly mean the same thing when it's in between orgasm and passing out? 

“And just why wouldn't we notice his less than enthusiastic way of sitting on the couch? Or his lack of sitting any sooner than he had to?” Quatre asked with a smirk.

“So it was all Duo's fault you noticed?” I asked a bit hurt that it was merely the discomfort I'd caused Duo that gave us away.

“No, there was the way you smiled when we got here. It actually went all the way to your eyes. And the little looks you gave Duo when he'd sit down. I remember that expression,” Quatre sighed a bit wistful.

“Oh?” I couldn't help myself.

“I gave the same ones to Trowa a few times myself,” he said with a blush and hung his head.

Chang, for all his restraint, laughed. I couldn't completely stifle my own chuckle either.

“You just wait until it's your turn. You'll appreciate his not making a big deal out of it, and feel even more guilty about having done it in the first place,” he grumbled, the blush and bashful smile making it more a friendly admission than a complaint.

As I sat there and looked between the two of them, I couldn't begin to understand why they weren't rubbing it in that I'd wasted all that time.

“Winner, I think he is waiting for something,” Chang said with a smirk.

“I believe he's waiting for four little words to be said,” he teased.

“Do you think we should, just so he can stop looking at us like that?”

“No, I think as long as it took them, we should get to enjoy this a bit more,” he said with a smirk. It was almost like they were debating it without my presence. And what was there for them to enjoy about this?

“Enjoy?” I asked.

“We are entitled to enjoy watching you both puzzle over just how long you wasted time. We've had to watch you dance around each other for so long, it's more fun to watch you both this way,” Quatre said as he leaned back into the corner of the couch.

“And maybe next time, you will remember that as your friends, we want you to be happy,” Chang added.

“My brothers, the sentimental types. I'd have expected it from Winner, but not you Chang,” I chuckled.

“Sentimental? I wouldn't call it that. But wanting my family to be happy is something I will always want. And I do my best to encourage that happiness when I can,” he said gently.

My partner will always be the one I am closest to as a friend. The one I turn to when I need a cool, level head to cut through the turmoil my own creates. And he just said exactly why.


	8. Chapter 8

DUO'S POV

The rest of our 'gathering' went on far longer than usual. Quatre had insisted on going out to dinner; the man had to do that when I wasn't planning on sitting on hard chairs. After that Chang even went to the bar with us. He rarely goes. Hell, Heero rarely goes. I only get Trowa to go when Quat' is out of town and particularly depressed. 

It's not like I go often myself, but before Heero moved in, the music and the living bodies around were nice. Helped me to forget just how empty that apartment was. And just how lonely I felt.

It wasn't like Heero and I had sat down and talked about what had happened the night before, and I think that was why we were both sitting in the living room delaying going to bed as long as possible. I was sprawled across the couch with the TV on, not that I was paying attention to a single thing on the screen. He was in his chair reading quietly, though I don't think he'd actually turned two pages in the past hour.

I should have just asked him. Should have, but that just doesn't fit the run and hide mentality. To just ask him something that ran the risk of slicing me open wasn't really my best skill.

“I think it's time to go to bed,” I said as I yawned. If I didn't, I'd probably end up spending the night right there on the couch. My eyelids were so heavy, I almost couldn't open them. Not that my mind was going to slow down enough to truly sleep, but hell it was worth a shot.

He nodded and then put down his book. His eyes didn't quite make it up to my face, and I have to admit to an amused smirk coming across my lips. He was walking behind me and when we got to the doorways to the rooms, we both just kind of stopped.

“Duo...” his voice was soft and confused.

“Yeah, Heero?”

He didn't speak, just stood there and looked at the doors. I hate to admit just how happy that made me. I wasn't the only one wondering just where we'd left ourselves. I wasn't the only one wanting him to crawl in next to me and wake the way we had that very morning again.

“You are coming to bed with me, aren't you?” I asked. 

The relief on his face was obvious, and it was nice to know he didn't just assume things that hadn't really been said. 

Once we were in bed, I settled in next to him. He wrapped his arm around me, and I wondered how long it would last before we finally started to roll apart in our sleep. Such an odd thing to wonder about, I suppose, when I really should have just been enjoying the closeness. Or more importantly, asking just where we stood. 

“Does this mean....” he trailed off. Leave it to Heero to ask the very things I was trying to avoid.

“Together?” I asked.

I felt the nod he gave, and his arm tightened around me in a brief hug.

“If you want that, I.... I wouldn't disagree,” I said and knew I'd picked all the wrong words when his body stiffened a bit.

“I want it, Heero. I just don't want you to think...”

He hugged me and tipped my face up to meet his lips. “Think that you just wanted what happened last night,” he finished for me.

“Mmhmm,” I answered with a soft nod and leaned down to brush my lips against his again.

“Love you,” I whispered as I drew back. Hell, why not say it? I'd been thinking it for years and it hadn't killed him. And that was all it ever really took, thinking it, feeling it. Maybe saying it would make the difference.

“Love you,” he whispered back before leaning up and claiming the passionate kiss that declared that feeling all over again.

* * *

HEERO'S POV

I was certain that Quatre insisted on going to dinner to celebrate the step across the stupidity border Duo and I had crossed. I got amused, sympathetic looks from Quatre every time Duo sat down carefully. 

The bar was an interesting event as well. Chang even went. It was interesting in the fact that Duo spent a lot of his time talking to the waitress that he obviously knew. She was a chatty thing and did her best to make us all feel like we were regulars.

I had been able to push all the thoughts aside while we were out, for the most part. Chang only had to remind me to stop thinking a few times. But once we were home and the others had left, I hadn't been able to stop rolling over the questions neither of us were daring to ask. I think I spent more time watching Duo on the couch from the corner of my eye than I did looking at my book. 

It was obvious he was lost in thought as well, and his eyes had been on me at first. However, before either of us was willing to mention going to bed, his eyes were nearly closed. 

I had wanted to ask him where all this had us. No one had asked us if we were together or had just admitted our feelings. Perhaps they believed that doing that latter would bring around the former with little issue. But I think by that point, Duo and I both had proven that neither of us did things the easy way. 

Quatre had even taken the time to tell us both that we had both been rather taken with the other since during the war. Reminded us of sitting in a desert location with him and telling him far more than either of us cared to admit to even after we'd said it all. 

If we had taken all these years to get to admitting we loved each other, how long were we going to take to admit we wanted to be together for life? I couldn't bare the thought of us wasting all those years before telling him I wanted to make it more than just a night of confession and passion.

“I think it's time to go to bed,” he said with a yawn. 

I nodded my agreement and put my book back on the table, noting I'd really only read about 3 pages. I followed him down the hall until he stopped between the doorways. Just stopped and looked at them, and then back at me.

“Duo...?” I wanted him to tell me if I was still welcome in his bed. That I didn't have to go back into that lonely bed without him after having him so close.

“Yeah, Heero?”

I just looked between the doors, unable to figure out just how to ask what I wanted to without sounding pathetic. 

“You are coming to bed with me, aren't you?” he asked softly, a gentle smile that was heart warming crossed his face.

Relief washed over me, and in that moment, I knew that even if it was a sated, exhaustion induced confession the previous night, he had meant it. He did love me.

I wasn't surprised when he still got in on the side next to the door, even though I would have rather been in that position. Like Chang had said before, Duo didn't need me to protect him. But that didn't make the desire to do so go away.

Once we were in bed, his head on my shoulder and my arm around him, I couldn't help the need to know where we stood. I waited for him to settle in better. His fingers were absently drawing little circles on my chest. I wrapped my other arm along his and rested that hand on his side. The other hand was rubbing on his back gently.

“Does this mean....” I trailed off. Did it mean we both wanted to be more than friends? Did it mean he wanted us to be more than we had been? Did it mean he was willing to accept the mess we were and society's standards be damned?

“Together?” he asked.

I nodded, hugging him to me for a moment before thinking it would be better not to draw him in the direction I really wanted him to go.

“If you want that, I... I wouldn't disagree,” he answered. I couldn't stop the way my body stiffened at the words. 

“I want it, Heero. I just don't want you to think...”

I hugged him and brought his face up for our lips to meet. “Think that you just wanted what happened last night,” I finished for him. 

I had hoped I'd known him well enough to know that he couldn't say certain things to just anyone. The word 'love' being one of the few things I couldn't see him use carelessly. The only times I remembered hearing it before was in reference to machinery. 

“Mmhmm,” he hummed with a tiny nod. He leaned down and brushed our lips together again in another brief kiss.

“Love you,” he whispered as our lips parted. I knew just how hard those words came for him. He drew back and looked down at me. 

“Love you,” I whispered back. I leaned up and closed the distance he'd gained to press my lips to his again. For more than that, to grant the kiss that shared the depth of those words, and just how much it meant to have those feelings returned.

 

~The End~


End file.
